


Beware, the Three - on hiatus, updates sporadic

by chararii



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Angst, Blood, Dark Haruno Sakura, Dark Shizune, Dark Tsunade, Family Feels, Fanart, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mentor & Protégé, Missing-Nin, Morally Ambiguous Character, Necromancy, Platonic Relationships, Teasers & Trailers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:09:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26578855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chararii/pseuds/chararii
Summary: "Beware She, who sows Despair.Beware She, who breathes Decay.Beware She, who keeps the Dead.Beware, the Three.”A world in which Tsunade is Orochimaru, Shizune is Kabuto and Sakura is Sasuke - and what it means for the story we know.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Shizune, Haruno Sakura & Shizune & Tsunade, Haruno Sakura & Tsunade, Shizune & Tsunade (Naruto)
Comments: 80
Kudos: 257





	1. Beware the Three: Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Posting fanart on here is not a new habit of mine but 1) I am EXTREMELY proud of this and 2) I am planning on writing a oneshot (or multiple) or a short fic for this AU anyway so the art and a short summary act both as teaser and placeholder. When I write the relevant pieces I will add them to this as chapters.
> 
> Got no scheduled date or anything though. I have a lot of stuff cooking at the same time. :D
> 
> Also, this is a RESIZED version. The original is 3250x2040 which would make viewing it on Ao3 nigh impossible. Link for the original size is here: https://flic.kr/p/2jJN2rX 
> 
> I recommend you check it out so you can see the glitter in their eyes. I'm very proud of that glitter! :D

In a world in which Tsunade was willing to sacrifice everything to reunite with Nawaki and Dan, she instead of Orochimaru, became the one who was forced to flee from the village after reaching heights that were believed to be impossible and being the first to discover the secrets of true necromancy.

As result of her descent and dabbling in forbidden and vile arts, Katsuyu abandoned her. Tsunade walked the Earth alone, until she was found and taken in by the Moths and their legendary summon, Styx.

Years later, she stumbled across an orphaned young recent academy graduate with a skill and precision with knives and the human body she had never seen before. She took Shizune for herself and taught her everything she knew.

Shizune, who eventually returned to Konoha to act as Tsunade’s secret agent, came upon Sakura, who had a mind for the analytical the likes of which was entirely unique. During the girl’s chuunin exams, Tsunade herself travelled to Konoha to collect her and make the girl’s untapped potential her own.

Nobody knows where they are yet the whole world knows their names. Shizune, the butcher who lives in the shadows to spread terror and fear wherever she goes. Sakura, the pestbringer whose very breath can rot a body from the inside out. Tsunade, the necromancer who raises and commands the dead entirely at her own will.

**“Beware,”** mothers tell their children late at night, 

**“beware, the Three.”**


	2. Summons - Tsunade: Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided on a format for this and it will be a collection of smaller fics that don’t necessarily take place in order but paint the larger picture nevertheless.
> 
> I wanted to go with the summons set first and Tsunade is up first with Shizune coming second and Sakura third! 
> 
> Also, I will probably end up having artwork for most chapters. So this is both I guess!
> 
> Link for full size image: https://flic.kr/p/2jKA8sE  
> Not as HD as the others because this was the first in the series and I was still experimenting with canvas size, resolution, etc.

Summons I: Family

“Damnit!” With a hiss, Tsunade tore a strip of cloth off her already thoroughly ruined mantle and painstakingly tied it around her forearm. A single bead of sweat trailed down her forehead as she rested against a tree. Just a second. Every breath caused a surge of hot white pain to run through her body but before she'd pass out due to lack of oxygen, she'd put up with the agony.

She had been careless. Careless and stupid and too damn optimistic. Cocky. That damn arrogance of hers had finally come back to bite her in the ass. Her left ear twitched ever so slightly as she felt rather than heard the incredibly fast-moving chakra signatures that were closing in on her. Gritting her teeth, Tsunade pushed herself forwards, falling into a jog that would see her captured in less than half an hour.

She bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from cursing viciously. Two weeks. Two fucking weeks they'd been on her trail. And they were not going to stop. No, Tsunade thought with a heavy frown, Sarutobi would not let her go. She knew the kinds of orders those ANBU had been given; orders she, herself, had carried out countless times. A red scroll. Return successfully or not at all. It was either them or her. And Tsunade would be damned if she surrendered and simply gave up after everything she'd already been through.

Once the signatures came close enough to alert her ears, Tsunade sighed in exertion before tapping into her yin seal and drawing upon what little still remained of her chakra. Less than a second later, she was flying through the woods with her feet never even touching the ground. She had to get rid of her pursuers. It was now or never.  
Tsunade had led them through three different countries but when Konoha's allies joined in on the hunt, she'd been stretching herself thin. Too thin. Even during the war, she'd never once run out of chakra and here she was, sprinting through Grass like the fugitive she was, having lost everything she'd worked for her entire life and with her former allies coming for her neck.

She'd never been quite as lucky as Orochimaru, to have a sensei who clearly played favourites. Konoha may have always loved her most but Sarutobi had rarely ever looked at Jiraiya or her. Tsunade was well aware of the path Orochimaru had taken before Jiraiya got to him, just in time. As one who had been through the descent herself, seeing the air around him darken a little more with each day that passed, had almost been amusing.

He had managed to pull back. Tsunade had been too subtle and too determined to be noticed before it was too late. And now here she was. Wanted woman, half-dead on her feet, dead within the day if she didn't think of something _fast_.

Skill, experience, and a thorough knowledge of the terrain all kept Tsunade ahead of her would-be executioners. By the time the sun was just about to set, she was once more well out of their reach. Older than most of them she may be, injured and nearly chakra exhausted to boot, but she was still one third of the sannin. The only two who could catch her without breaking a sweat had been too sentimental to come after her.

Shivering in the cold, Tsunade hobbled through the sparse forest that marked the border between Grass and Rain. Ame, at least, was neutral territory and would not take up arms against a missing-nin from Konoha. Especially one such as herself. Gasping and clutching her side, she wandered aimlessly.

Shelter would be nice. A fire absolutely required. The last few days of autumn were wet and cold and Tsunade had little more than a tattered mantle, thin blouse and shortened pants covering her frame.

The raid itself had been a surprise. Tsunade, who had been preparing for a sudden need to disappear, had been caught completely off guard. Without any of her supplies or notes, she'd been forced to run in the dead of the night, pursued by Sarutobi himself until the ANBU had taken over. Killing half of them in self-defense had done little to deter them. At least, Tsunade thought grimly, none of her notes or research had been left behind to be dissected by Orochimaru and Sarutobi. She still remained the only one this close to spitting death in the face.

After a while, her patience finally paid off. A barely visible opening on the foot of a mountain was a sight so welcome, Tsunade allowed her shoulders to sag if for a mere moment. The interior was dark and damp, a hovel the likes of which Orochimaru thrived in. Spending only the bare minimum of time, Tsunade gathered a few sticks, threw them into a corner and with a pained gasp, forced a sliver of chakras through her inflamed hands.

She'd been healing herself little by little, almost non-stop, and the constant chakra flow was beginning to put a serious strain on her body. Her stomach growled as she slid down the cave wall, collapsing into a heap of limbs, but she was too tired and too used to going without food, to care much.

Not that she could afford to live like this much longer. Tsunade no longer possessed the chakra reserves to have her body feast on it instead of real food. Adding to that the subconscious pain relief, the passive regeneration, and nigh constant stamina boost, Tsunade had churned through almost all of her energy. A child of the Senju and the Uzumaki and here she was, drained like a mere commoner.

Alone. In a cave in the middle of fucking nowhere. Hunted by her former allies, starving, sore, probably living her last few days on this earth. And what miserable days those were. Tsunade huffed and leaned backwards, staring up at the ceiling. Wondered if it would be Orochimaru in her place if she had decided not to pick up her granduncle's old journals. Decided not to study them. Decided not to follow through with what he couldn't. For all his genius, Tobirama had been a warrior and a scholar. Not a medic. Not _Tsunade_.

“What would you think if you could see me now, hm? Young Tsuna you adored so, disgraced, on the run, probably only a week away from being executed.” Her voice echoed through the cave in an eerie rhythm, like countless ghosts calling out for her. Ghosts she had been hearing for months.

“I'm going insane,” Tsunade muttered to herself before shifting her weight to the side and adjusting her position. Sleep would be as terrible as it had been ever since she fled but at this point, she was grateful for every single second of rest. Rest her body sorely needed to regain even a tiny fraction of her unparalleled chakra reserves.

Too exhausted to be caught up in dark thoughts and memories, she fell asleep the second she closed her eyes.

When she opened them, the world around her was different. Tsunade frowned as she took in her surroundings as she carefully got to her feet. Gone was the cave, the dampness, even the air had changed. Too wary and conscious of the sudden sweetness surrounding her, Tsunade made sure not to breathe in too deeply. It was too dark for her to get a good read on the environment. All she felt was dry grass beneath her feet and the faint outlines of large towering trees, eerily reminiscent of those in the Forest of Death.

“Hello?” she murmured, not yet willing to raise her voice. Tsunade stumbled forward, eyes squinted as they slowly adjusted to the low light levels. A faint hum disturbed the silence, not a song or even a call but something in between. She walked, aimlessly, not daring to touch the trees or large flowers that littered these unnatural woods.

“What-” Tsunade spit and staggered backwards at the sudden touch on her bare skin. Waving her hands, she hastily rubbed whatever it was she had run into off her body.

“Damn spiders,” she growled and pulled the remaining traces of cobwebs out of her hair.

“I am not a spider.” Tsunade whirled around and had only the fraction of a second to be met by a giant shadow that glinted in countless shades of shimmering turquoise and cyan before everything faded to black.

With waking up, came the pain. Tsunade rolled to the side as the last remains of sleep faded away only to be replaced by a stinging ache in her limbs and a headache that threatened to split her mind in two. Light spilled into the cave, signaling that it was time to get a move on. She had to get into Rain country as soon as possible. Neutral ground at least would buy her more time.

Picking herself off the ground, Tsunade jerked a hand through her hair to get rid of the worst tangles before inspecting her wound. Some ANBU had managed to land a single hit on her and unfortunately, a single hit was all those types tended to need. If she'd been any less of a medic, the long gash would have caused her to bleed out within minutes. Sleep, however, had done its part and what used to be an angry red only barely closed cut had turned into a deep pink line that would not open up again.

“Small mercies,” Tsunade told herself and rolled her shoulders. At least she felt less like death and more like a person. Testing the waters, she was pleased to note that no signatures had popped up on her radar. Her last mad dash yesterday had gotten her farther than she'd initially assumed. Making her way towards the entrance of the cave, she yawned once and couldn't help but smile a little upon passing a small cluster of tiny moths that clung to the edge of the darkness. Tsunade had always had a bit of a soft spot for critters.

The first half of the day passed by rather quickly. She could pinpoint the exact moment she crossed the border; the rain was quite the giveaway. Having regained some of her chakra, Tsunade kept a steady current running through her body, warming her limbs. Thank the ancestors for her immaculate chakra control, she thought and shrugged off the rain and cold as she made her way through the wet expanse that made up the majority of the country.

The second half of the day was when her already questionable luck finally run out. The only warning Tsunade got was a sudden spike of chakra somewhere to her left. Instinct and reflexes of a war veteran made her twist sideways to avoid being skewered by an expertly thrown kunai. A single flash of red appeared in front of her, forcing her to immediately shut her eyes.

“Mikoto,” Tsunade growled and whirled around. She should have known that she would be the one to lead the hunting party. Behind her mask, the Uchiha was a rabid animal that had brought home countless corpses of former comrades on the orders of her superiors. She alone was no match against Tsunade. But as more and more signatures appeared out of nowhere, Tsunade recognised the pack of predators for what it was.

Forced on the defensive, she relied on her senses to spot incoming projectiles before they could hit her and broke into a sprint. How the hell had they managed to sneak up on her? Her sensory abilities were a pathetic imitation of her granduncle's but still miles better than those of most Konohan sensors.

A question for another time, Tsunade told herself as she increased her speed, hungry teeth snapping at her heels. Heavens be her witness, she'd always despised the Uchiha cats, Mikoto's in particular. Vicious rotten beasts.

“Surrender, Senju, and be spared,” the matriarch's voice rang out from behind her, causing Tsunade to snort in disgust. They couldn't even respect her enough to be honest. A man of science he may be, but even Sarutobi drew the line at messing with the dead, choked by morals that Tsunade had shed long ago.

“Bite me,” she hissed. The Uchiha's response came in the form of a single large cat lunging at Tsunade, missing her neck by a hair's breadth.

“In the name of my ancestors, I will bring you down!” The Uchiha graveyard had been one of the first Tsunade had made use of. She hadn't known that Sarutobi had shared that particular piece of information with the hunters. Though she probably should have expected it. Anything to motivate them to come after a sannin.

The chase lasted for half an hour until Tsunade realised what was happening. Horrified, she took a sharp left to try and extract herself from the situation only to be cut off by one of the summons. They had herded her like a damn sheep and her tired mind had failed to catch on. Both her left and right were guarded by ANBU. With Mikoto at her back, the only way Tsunade could run was ahead. Right towards the edge of the cliff.

“There's no way for you to go. Surrender,” the Uchiha repeated herself, feet square on the ground, still a respectable distance away from Tsunade who had come to a total standstill, facing her hunters. Taking a single step backwards, her heels brushed against nothing but air. She was caught.

“In the name of the Sandaime Hokage, you Senju Tsunade, are sentenced to death for treason against your own village, practising the forbidden arts and murder of your former comrades,” Mikoto spoke loud and clear, as the law demanded it. Tsunade grit her teeth and balled her hands into fists, mind running at high speed, going through countless possibilities, trying to find a way to escape her fate. She had come so far. So damn far only to fall now, alone, unfulfilled, without ever having figured out how to break the final barrier-

“The Sandaime ordered us to allow you to choose your preferred method of execution. Choose quickly, or have the choice taken from you.” Sentimental old fool, Tsunade snorted and moved a few wet strands of hair out of her face. She was just about to tell the Uchiha to go fuck herself when a movement at the edge of her vision, momentarily distracted her. She blinked when she saw a tiny baby moth struggle to fight and stay airborn in the rain.

Reaching out, she extended her arm and let the thing take refuge on her hand. For a moment, the ANBU disappeared, the threat of imminent death faded away, her mind came to rest. Tsunade stared at the moth, drawn in by its unnatural coloring, a mixture of deep blues and greens that, together, created the most lovely shade of cyan Tsunade had ever laid eyes on.

“You have ten seconds to decide.” With a snap and a pop, the world came back into focus but just like that, the raging storm in her head had calmed. Tsunade faced her hunters, shoulders relaxed, mind clearer than it had been for weeks.

“I refuse,” she declared. If they were going to take her, she would not grant them the satisfaction of meeting them halfway.

“Have it your way,” Mikoto spoke coldly and drew her sword. The moth on Tsunade's hand had climbed onto her shoulder and gently flapped its wings, disturbing the air around them. The woman stalked towards her, much like the cats she called her own and Tsunade let her. If she was going to die, she would do so with dignity.

The metal glinted in the low light as it rose in the air. Tsunade stared into the glowing red that poked through the eyeholes in Mikoto's mask and then, just as the sword came down, allowed her own to fall shut.

She expected pain, then nothing.

Instead, she was violently thrown backwards by a sudden gust of wind, right off the edge of the cliff.

“Hello, child.” Tsunade opened her eyes to darkness. Her body refused to move, endlessly content to rest on dry and warm grass. She inhaled the sweet air, stared up at shadowy trees that loomed above her, rested beneath a pure black sky set alight by sparkling cyan stars.

“Where am I?” she asked eventually, voice quiet and weak. Something about the place she found herself in made her wary of disturbing the silence. A heavy sense of reverence weighed her down, ancient in ways she couldn't put into words even if she tried.

“My realm. I am Styx.” Just then the shadows clinging to the trees shifted and Tsunade realised that they were not shadows at all. Far above her, blocking out the sky and resting on top of the forest, were giant wings that swayed gently in the faint breeze. Two tendril attached to the voice twitched from side to side and the longer Tsunade watched, the more the shadows gave way to what laid beneath.

“A moth?” Her voice was nary a whisper, one she could barely hear with her own ears. Her entire being was mesmerised and trapped in the gaze of the animal's giant black eyes. In comparison, she was a mere ant and something about the animal made Tsunade want to lower her head in supplication.

“I am the mother of all, the queen of my kind, the keeper of the gates to the underworld,” the voice replied, high and soft, resonating with countless other voices, both male and female that twisted it into a sound Tsunade couldn't match to either. Something about it was familiar, the echo one Tsunade had heard before...

“You're the ghost,” she breathed as realisation sank in. She had dreamed of those echoes, heard them in the dark of the night when the moon had reached its peak, for years, ever since she had first delved into her forbidden legacy that her granduncle had left behind.

“I have watched over you, witnessed your transformation from a creature of the day to one who thrives in the dark. You are one of my children and the time for you to meet me, has come at last.” Fissures of light lit up on the moth's wings, bright glowing patterns of light that doused her surroundings into a hallowed light. It was... comfortable.

“I died,” Tsunade replied, recalling the sword that had come for her, delivered by the Red Death herself.

“No, child. One of my young ones carried you into my realm to escape your fate. No time passes here, your world stands still. You will return, eventually, and with my blessing continue to live another day.” The heavy blanket of peace and serenity weakened. Tsunade's mind returned to her, one fragment at a time, and she frowned.

“You're a summon,” she stated, having been to one of the sacred realms before, back when- Biting her lip, Tsunade forced herself to stop thinking about the one who abandoned her.

“The slugs made a mistake with you,” the moth continued and Tsunade sighed quietly at the reminder.

“They mistook your soul for your brother's and claimed you, unaware of the potential you were hiding.” Tsunade frowned and bit her lip, feeling the stirring of her temper at the mention of Nawaki.

“What's that supposed to mean?” she demanded through grit teeth, balling her hands into fists. She tried to stay in control, knew better than to risk accidentally offending one of the summons. Tsunade knew exactly what happened to those who dared disrespect them.

“Katsuyu looked at you and saw your grandfather when truly, you have always been more like your granduncle.” The moth sounded almost amused at that, delighting in a private joke the context of which Tsunade wasn't privy to.

“Your family has always been split into two halves. The light and the dark. There is good and evil in both, but your potential is what decides which you truly belong to. Your brother carried your grandfather in him, an unerring creature of the day.” The wings shifted, revealing a striped underbelly as the moth bowed its head, seemingly to inspect Tsunade even closer.

“You, much like Tobirama, underwent a transformation and evolved, just like my kind does. We were his guardians, watched over and sheltered him. He wielded our gifts and received our blessing. I look at you and see the same spirit that pulled him into our fold, long ago.” The moth paused, tilted its head, and brushed its antenna against Tsunade's cheek.

“You are ours and I have come to claim you.” She couldn't help but close her eyes at the contact that warmed her from the inside out, a temptation that promised family and kin and chased away the loneliness and fierce agony that set in her chest ever since Katsuyu has left her behind.

“Will you abandon me too?” Tsunade asked, voice bitter and filled with emotion that she had repressed for months. The moth hummed and vibrated in a way that reminded Tsunade of a soft chuckle from her childhood. A sound Tobirama had made, whenever she had clung to him like a monkey. Out of everyone, Tsunade had always loved her granduncle the most and perhaps there had been more to that than she'd always assumed.

“I have always been with you, even when the slugs claimed you for themselves. You are who you were meant to be, are walking down a path that brings you closer to me with every step you take. I guard the gate to the lands of the dead and one day, you will become their keeper.” Swallowing audibly, Tsunade finally found the strength to get off the ground, body strong and healthy once more. A far cry from the near ruin she had been in.

“They say that those claimed by summons join them after their death. Is...” She paused briefly, staring at the ground.

“Is he here?” The moth didn't answer, endlessly content to stare in silence. Tsunade was just about to raise her voice once more when a rustle rose up from the trees, a buzz that increased in volume until suddenly, countless cyan lights appeared from between bark and leaves. An army of tiny moths fluttered across the clearing, heading straight for Tsunade who didn't flinch or twitch when they settled on her shoulders, head, arms, until they covered her entire body.

“We are your family. And we will always watch over you,” the moth, Styx, declared and Tsunade felt the heaviness of the promise between them as one after another, the moths sank beneath her skin and anchoured themselves deep within her soul, forever a part of her very being.

“Go, child. Go and _soar,_ ” the voice of her granduncle rang out from the darkness of the forest and pulled her down and down, into the void.

Rain, cold and wind greeted her and when Tsunade opened her eyes, she was met by the open sky and the cliff high above her. Her body was falling and the air whistled, nearly deafening her as she descended, long strands of pale hair obscuring her vision.

From one moment to the next, her brain snapped back into action and wild panic clouded her mind. Tsunade cursed and flailed her arms but it was no use. She was too far away from the cliff, falling further and further with no possibility to find anything to hold onto. Far above her she saw spots of white and red, masks that watched her, observed the way she would inevitably smash into hard rock and end up a red messy stain against grey slabs of stone.

Just as she was about to give up, a single cyan moth entered her line of sight. It hovered in the air above her, stared with a kind of intent that surpassed that of any simple animal. From nowhere, Tsunade heard the whispers that had stuck to her like a second skin and remembered the voice of Tobirama, urging her to fly.

With one harsh movement, Tsunade moved her hand to her face and bit her thumb.

“SUMMONING JUTSU!” she bellowed, and part of her expected nothing more than a cloud of smoke, much like the result she had gotten when she attempted to summon Katsuyu after the slugs had burned their contract.

When she felt the tug in her soul, her eyes went wide and her mouth opened at the sheer euphoria that flooded her entire being. The air around her changed, turned sweet and heavy, and Tsunade could hear the fluttering of wings beneath her mere moment before she landed on something soft and warm and giant and _entirely her own_.

“Tsunade,” the summon greeted her and she didn't know whether to laugh or cry, when the deep baritone she recalled from her early childhood called her name. She clung to the fuzzy back of the moth, buried her hands in its fur and hugged the animal as it carried her on its back, away from the ground and towards the sky.

“Tobirama,” she said, and left behind her fear, worries and weariness on the earth as she soared through the night, surrounded by family and towards a future in which she was no longer alone.

_We will watch over you. Always._

__


	3. Summons - Shizune: Guide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second part of the Summons collection!  
> This one was harder to write since this Shizune is very different (which is why I added some characterisation). I did a bunch of research to try and paint a comprehensive image of what she is like. She's not a full-fledged psychopath but shows a number of the traits. I hope you'll see what I mean.  
> Either way, enjoy. 
> 
> Link for the large HD image: https://flic.kr/p/2jKA5DJ

Summons II: Guide

“What do you think you're doing?!” A hand closed itself around her arm and pulled her away from the markets, into a dark alley. The man who grabbed her pushed her against the wall, nearly crushing her wrist and applying enough pressure to make her drop the necklace she'd been holding in her right hand.

Shizune stared at Toshiro-sensei, took in the fury in his eyes, the snarl on his face and the way he looked at her as if she were little more than an insect. She pulled a grimace at the agony blossoming in her limb but otherwise remained silent. He didn't like that. He never did.

“Answer me, damnit!” he cursed and shook her like an unruly kitten, uncaring of the way her back scraped against the wall, wearing down the already thin and cheap cloth of her outfit even further. She'd have to get it replaced sooner than expected and the thought annoyed her enough to jerk, once, and successfully cause the man to lose his balance if only for a second.

“Little sh-”

“Hey!” Shizune's head snapped to the side at the sudden interruption. An eldery woman stomped towards them. She was small and round with a gaggle of tiny children trailing behind her. Her eyes smouldered and all of her indignation seemed directed at the man.

“Release this young girl at once! We don't take kindly to strangers manhandling young children around here!” Not at all daunted by Toshiro-sensei's shinobi uniform, the woman shook her fist at him and looked moments away from using her filled grocery bags to assault him.

“Ma'am, stay out of this. The girl is one of my students and disciplining her is within my authority,” he replied with grit teeth, pointing at his headband to emphasise the point. This caused the woman to falter and as her gaze moved from him to Shizune, she saw the doubt in it. She widened her eyes slightly, softened her features, thought hard about the way the kids at the orphanage used to look when they were scared of those tiny bugs that found their ways through the cracks in the windows.

“Surely whatever she did doesn't warrant such an extreme reaction,” the elder pointed out, some of her former conviction returning. The split second in which Toshiro-sensei closed his eyes in annoyance before once more facing the woman was enough for Shizune to shift her foot to the side just so and kick the necklace behind a stack of boxes.

“Ma'am, we're shinobi. Trust me when I say that the girl has been through worse and can take a little rough handling.” The man hated dealing with civilians. In that regard at least, Shizune could relate to him. Not that dealing with other shinobi was any different for her. She preferred not having to deal with anyone at all.

“Why, if that is how you treat your own students I dare not think about how you behave around us normal folk. I'll make sure to have a talk with the village elders about what kind of people they employ!” They had gathered a small crowd by now, a mixture of young and old that clustered around the entrance to the alley. Shizune fully relaxed her body and tilted her head to the side so her bangs no longer partially obscured her face.

“Look at the poor girl, too scared to try and speak up for herself.”

“My son would struggle and scream. Heavens above, she must be terrified.”

“Do these people truly have no shame?”

“Outsiders.”

The crowd mumbled and hissed, a chorus of dissent heading straight for the man holding her against the wall. Shizune stared at the lines on his face that deepened, the way the corner of his mouth tilted downwards, the flare of his nostrils.

“She's a damn menace who stole a piece of jewelry from one of your vendors!” he barked. Before the crowd could fall silent or react otherwise, Shizune jerked violently and yelled:

“That's not true! I haven't taken anything, he just hates me!” She closed her free hand around his wrist and scratched at it while biting the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood, causing a faint hint of moisture to appear in her eyes.

“That's a wild claim, Mister and you'd better have some proof for such an accusation. All I see is a grown man mistreating a young girl half his size!” He cursed, quietly so only Shizune could hear him, then looked at the ground. And stopped. Shizune watched the gears in his head turn as he came up empty, finding little more than stone and dirt. He raised his head painfully slowly until his bright blue eyes drilled themselves into Shizune's black voids.

“When this mission is over I'll have you thrown off my team,” he growled lowly and clenched his hand around her wrist even harder. Shizune stayed silent, let his silent fury roll wash over her, showing little more than the blank slate she was.

“Now I'm sure you all enjoyed the show but I'll be taking my leave now,” Toshiro-sensei declared with an air so unaffected the fakeness of it painted a stark contrast to the boiling rage underneath. She liked it when he was like that. The man itself was pathetic, biased and not worth anyone's time but he could put on a mask with the best of them.

The woman tried to protest but between one moment and the next, the world shifted and when it fell back into focus, Shizune found herself in the forest adjacent to the village they stayed in, not far from where her two teammates were currently practising their elemental jutsu. This time, when Toshiro-sensei reached for her, Shizune sidestepped him and glowered at the man, daring him to try and restrain her again.

He was her elder and superior, neither of which mattered to her. All that mattered was that she was faster, smarter and _better_. There was a reason she had been assigned to one of the stronger genin teams, after all, a mere two weeks after graduating with the highest score in over a decade.

“You're off the team. I don't care what the rules say but you're staying in the inn until we complete the mission. After that, I'll take you back to the village and make you someone else's problem.”

“I don't even know why they let you graduate. You don't follow the rules, refuse to listen to my orders, steal from our clients-” He paused, jaw tense, fists balled, muscles bulging.

“Get out of my sight. And if you leave the inn I'll tie you to a post myself,” the man threatened while looming above her like a shadow.

“You can try.” If she'd stayed silent, he'd have let her go without another word. Shizune's eyes narrowed as the man's face twisted into an ugly grimace and refused to back away when he came even closer.

“I've fucking had it with you. I've been jounin sensei to five teams and never have I come across someone so full of themselves!” He was close enough that she could smell the sweat and perfume on him, a sickening mixture of different woods that didn't mesh well with a note of smoke that was too rugged for a mousy man such as him.

“If you come closer I'll hurt you.”

“Are you threatening me?” her teacher asked quietly, and the air around him filled with static and a heavy sense of ozone. Shizune furrowed her brow at his unfortunate lack of control over his own chakra. Hers never poured out of her pathways like that.

“Yes.” Her hands were perfectly still, didn't twitch as he did. She felt the weight of her knives on her hips, perfectly within reach. Shizune knew she could arm herself before the jounin could come even close to harming her. He knew it too, and that was why he stopped.

“I will have you removed from the corps and if it's the last thing I do. You're a damn nutcase!” This, at last, drew a reaction from Shizune who flinched ever so slightly and couldn't stop her hands from flying to her knives. She had one pointed at his neck, the other just between his third and fourth rib before she came back to herself and aware of what she had done.

“Remove your weapons right. now,” Toshiro-sensei growled quietly, breathing shallowly, intimately aware of the excellent condition Shizune kept her knives in and the unerring precision she had with any sort of sharp weapon. His words didn't affect her as she stared at her hands which were frozen, just like the rest of her.

Her mind came to a total standstill, not in panic or fear, both of which were entirely foreign to her, or anything else she could try to name. She could release him. According to all laws of Konoha, the corps and shinobi society in general, she should.

But she didn't _want_ to.

“Shizune.” Her head snapped upwards at the mention of her name. The man was no longer angry or furious. Instead, he looked calm and placating. It made Shizune feel like a wild animal and she didn't like the comparison.

“You never said my name before,” she pointed out as her grip on her knives never once wavered or faltered. And he hadn't. Shizune quite liked her name. It didn't mean anything to her, didn't serve as a reminder of her dead parents but it was hers and hers alone. At the orphanage, she'd been called 'girl' or 'brat', sometimes even 'runt' despite being the tallest in her year. Later in the academy, she'd been ignored for the most part except when she did something the teachers didn't like in which case they'd once again defaulted to 'girl' or 'brat'.

Toshiro-sensei disliked her ever since they met and in the past two weeks, had used a variety of names for Shizune. Except for now.

“Why did you use my name?” she asked and tilted her head, mimicking her old roommate who'd never understood much of anything and instead of voicing her problem, had always showed her confusion just like that.

“You're not yourself right now,” he replied in lieu of an actual answer to her question, causing Shizune to furrow her brows.

“I feel like myself,” she stated and briefly considered her state of mind and body. She felt natural, the same way she always did except for when she got angry which usually resulted in someone else getting injured.

“Just take a step back from the situation. I got angry at you but should have handled it better. You have difficulty adjusting to a team situation but there are ways to work around that. If you remove your weapons, we can talk about them.” He sounded reasonable. Shizune's hands still didn't move.

“I don't understand,” she said instead. Anger was natural. She knew that. She got angry too, quite often actually, and while others tended to get upset over her reactions she'd never quite understood why. What other way was there to 'handle' one's rage? Shizune had never tried but couldn't imagine simply not letting it out.

“I can explain. Just lower your knives.” Staring at the man she considered her options. He looked like she did whenever she stared in the mirror. Calm, blank, bored. Familiar. Slowly, Shizune dropped her hands and took a step backwards. The man deflated visibly and was just about to open his mouth when a loud yell interrupted them.

It came from the direction where her team was training and while Shizune took a few moments to react, her sensei shot off towards them. Curiousity awakened, she followed and soon passed her teacher. The scene she arrived to was... unexpected.

Red covered the grass, along with three bodies, one of which belonged to the eldest member of their team. His chest was rising and falling rapidly as his hands clutched a gaping hole in his stomach. The other boy was busy fending off three assailants, missing-nin from Grass if the scratched headbands were anything to go by. The boy was losing.

“Daisuke!” Toshiro-sensei bellowed and launched himself at the missing-nin. Two were dead within seconds but the third had taken the opportunity to force his sword through Daisuke's stomach. The boy fell, accompanied by a howl of rage from their teacher. The missing-nin ran. Shizune stared.

“Shit! Shit, shit, shit- SHIZUNE! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?!” She blinked once, then approached the bodies and her teacher whose hands were busy pulling first aid equipment out of his pack.

“Here! You took the medic course. Do what you can for Yoshio. I'll intercept them before they can attack the village.” With those parting words, her sensei was off. Shizune looked at the supplies he'd unloaded into her hands, then at the boy whose face was twisted in agony and who seemed less than lucid. A single look told her that Daisuke was already dead, probably passed before he hit the ground.

The missing-nin's attack had been sloppy but Shizune had seen the way the boy had mistakenly turned into it. He would have been scarred, perhaps even paralysed, but fine. Due to his own incompetence, he died instead. Crouching low, she bowed over Yoshio and inspected his wound with two fingers.

He howled at the contact and jerked violently, neither of which fazed Shizune. With each prod, fresh blood spilled out of the hole and trickly down his sides, soaking his already stained outfit even further. This cut at least was clean. Shizune liked clean cuts. Precision was an art in itself and while she appreciated efficiency, she could still see the appeal in a slightly messier approach. She'd always liked red.

“H- help... me...,” the boy gasped and tried to reach for Shizune. She shifted to the side to prevent his hand from making contact with her arm.

“I've never seen someone die before,” she said and studied his eyes. They were a lovely shade of green and for the first time since they'd met, not filled with disdain for her worn and poverty-stricken appearance.

“W- what...?” The supplies in her hands went unused. Shizune observed the wound, the tremors in his limbs, the jerk of his chest. She listened to his quiet gasps, the rattle of his breath, the pitiful attempts at forming words. With every second that passed, his movements slowed, the noise he made dimmed. There was no such thing as watching the life drain out of someone's eyes but this, Shizune thought, came close enough. Vivid green lost some of its shine and whatever spark his eyes held, faded into nothingness until she found little more than glass staring at her.

Silence fell over the clearing and after a few more moments of immortalising the image of the boy's lifeless corpse in her memory, Shizune took the supplies and went to work. She unrolled one of the bandages and tied it around his midsection, soaked the cotton balls in his blood, then neatly placed them around the wound.

Recalling the classes she took out of a sheer fascination for anatomy and the human body, Shizune followed every single step she had been taught until she had done all she could. Finally, she rubbed some of his blood onto her hands and even got some on her knees. She was due for a new set of clothes anyway. Then, she waited.

After a while, she heard him coming. Her sensei was out of breath, covered in blood that wasn't his, and resembled a dead man walking more than anything else. Once his eyes found Shizune and the position she was in, scanned Yoshio's body and the lack of movement, he stopped and closed his eyes.

“He died,” Shizune supplied before getting to her feet and waiting for the man to process what happened. She saw sadness in him, grief, anger, desperation. He was upset. She wondered why that was. After all, the man had only known them for two weeks and in that time, Shizune hadn't seen anything worth nurturing or keeping in either of her teammates. They died because they weren't good enough as was the natural circle of life. Nothing worth getting upset over.

“...just go. Leave me alone.” She blinked twice at the tiredness in his voice and the defeated dismissal. Then, she turned around and walked away.

Since her teacher had failed to be more specific in his instructions, Shizune returned to the village. As soon as she entered the small bustling community, her appearance caused quite the commotion.

“Oh dear girl, what happened to you?!” It was the elderly woman from a few hours ago who now sped towards her.

“My team was attacked and two of them died. My teacher sent me away,” she replied truthfully and watched as the woman was visibly torn between shock, outrage and grief.

“Oh, you poor thing. That irresponsible man, how dare he-” She stopped listening after that and allowed the elder to lead her to the bathhouse. She paid for the entrance so Shizune let her fuss over her for a while. The water itself was warm and nice and thoroughly appreciated by Shizune who'd had to make do with cold baths in rivers and lakes ever since her team went on this mission.

“You'll come over for dinner tonight. You shouldn't be alone right now.” Shizune didn't see why not yet the promise of free food was enough to convince her.

“When is your teacher going to come for you?” the woman asked later when the sun had set and Shizune quietly nibbled on delicious steamed salmon and rice.

“He didn't say,” she replied after swallowing and put some more fish onto her plate. Despite the state the village was in, the people ate well and plenty.

“He just told me to leave. I don't think he wants to see me again.” That sent the elder into another fir. She ranted about irresponsible men, defenceless young girls. It all didn't make much sense to Shizune but she had learned the value of staying silent when it benefitted her. So when she was told that she would spend the night in this home, 'no argument young lady', she had indeed, chosen not to argue. The inn was a little drafty and drunk people were noisy. In comparison, the guest room of the woman's home was warm, lovely and quiet. Shizune opened the window, then slid into the bed. She was unsure what the next day would bring but for now, she was clean, her belly was full and that was all that mattered.

When she woke, it was to something sitting on her chest. A second was enough to assess the threat level, finding it non-existent and aborting the movement to reach for her knives which she kept on either side of her body.

Shizune didn't speak, studied the bat that had flown in through the window as much as it studied her. She didn't know how much time had passed but eventually, the animal flapped its wings and fluttered around the room before sitting on the windowsill. It looked at Shizune, flapped its wings once more, the hopped in place.

“I don't know what you want,” she said but sat up nevertheless. If it wanted to leave, it could. Still, it stayed in place, beady black eyes focused on hers, then repeated its actions. When Shizune failed to react, it seemed to _huff_ before flying towards her and coming to a rest of her hand. It clawed at her fingers almost as if trying to make her follow it.

“You're smart for an animal,” Shizune pointed out only to be given the stink eye by a bat. Not a normal animal, that much was clear. Nothing related to her teacher either.

“Why are you so clever?” she asked herself more than the critter and leaned closer until they were almost nose to nose. It didn't answer, not that Shizune expected it to. Once more, it hopped in place before returning to the windowsill. Curiousity roused, Shizune left the bed and walked all the way to the window. The animal shifted from side to side, turned around and took off into the night. She didn't move for a moment, took one breath, then two, then three, until her brain came to a decision.

Putting on her clothes and fastening her weaponry to her hips in record time, Shizune soon jumped out of the window and crouched on the roof. The village was quiet at night, unlike Konoha and lit up by a pale bright moon. She didn't have to wait long until the bat returned, zoomed around her head a few times, then flew towards the forest, Shizune hot on its heels.

It led her on a wild goose chase with seemingly no destination at all. Ordinarily Shizune would have eventually gotten bored and abandoned the pursuit but each time she came close to doing so, the animal darted into her range and out, taunted her into renewing her efforts. The experience was as infuriating as it was fascinating.

Shizune had always been fast and agile, effortlessly outpaced her year mates and a good number of chuunin with the odd jounin who specialised in other fields. She could run quicker than any animal that was not a summon or otherwise different. This bat kept up with her. More than that, it flew always as fast as Shizune ran, suggesting it was capable of even greater speeds.

After a while, Shizune noticed the tiny, barely visible smile that had slid on her face. The realisation almost sent her flying into a tree and only sharp reflexes prevented a nasty collision. She was enjoying herself. Shizune couldn't recall the last time she'd felt like this. Fulfilled. Satisfied. Not bored.

Just then, the bat took a sharp left and disappeared into a cave. Undaunted, Shizune didn't stop and dropped out of the trees, applied a small amount of chakra to her feet to stick to slippery rock and descended into the cave. Light soon disappeared and Shizune had to rely on the faint brushes of air and painfully underdeveloped chakra sense to ensure she didn't crash into the walls or various rock formations.

She was completely blind and ran with her hands in front of her body, catching herself countless times. After a while, she'd gotten used to the odd method of navigation and nearly doubled her speed. The fact that she wasn't alone became abundantly clear when Shizune only barely avoided a wall and spooked a cluster of animals.

The flutter of wings and touch of fur and leather against her arms and cheeks gave away the presence of countless tiny bats much like the one she was following on sheer instinct. Shizune briefly wondered if bats were known to feast on humans if their numbers were large enough, then immediately dismissed the idea.

Shizune came to a sudden halt when the bat settled on top of her head. Chakra stopped her from sliding forward since she had nothing to hold onto. She had gotten used to the darkness by now but still suffered from naturally weak sensing abilities. The only giveaway to the fact that wherever she was was a large hollow cavern were the echoes bouncing around the walls.

The chatter of hundreds of bats drowned out any and all other sounds until Shizune was forced to cover her ears. The second she did, the noise abruptly ceased and the bat on top of her head shifted and clawed at her hair. Getting the impression that she was meant to do something, Shizune took a step forward, soon followed by another.

“That is close enough.” She stopped. The voice had come from everywhere at once and the echo made it impossible to pinpoint the source.

“What have you brought me here, hm, youngling?” The bat left Shizune's head and chirped while circling around her body.

“And what would you know of worthiness?” The chirping, if at all possible, became louder and positively indignant. A chuckle rang through the cavern, a sound that sounded oddly pleasant to Shizune's ears no matter how raspy.

“My child tells me you have watched death. Tell me stranger, did you enjoy it?” Shizune pondered the question for a moment, then stilled.

“I watched because I've never seen someone die before. I was curious about what it looks like. It was... interesting.” She hadn't enjoyed the sight, neither had she been horrified. If anything, it had felt almost like sitting in class and learning something new.

“You have not cried? Wailed, or grieved?” Shizune frowned at the darkness.

“I have never cried before,” she stated truthfully. If she had cried, then it was as a baby, a time she had no recollection of. For as long as she could remember, Shizune had never shed a single tear.

“Never?” the darkness enquired, causing Shizune to square her shoulders.

“I get angry instead.” Rage was familiar and while she could control it most times, others it clouded her thoughts. Whenever she woke from one of those spells, it was usually to violence. She'd nearly split a girl's head in two, years ago, when the other orphan had taunted her and called her weird and stupid.

“You are fragmented.” That was something she'd never been called before. Not once during the numerous times she'd been sent for psychological evaluation. No matter how many times they tried, the Yamanaka who had been sent to speak to Shizune had never found her wanting. She'd been quite proud of that.

“Like a cracked mirror or a shattered crystal, you are pieces of a whole that are broken and have failed to fuse together.”

“I am not broken!” Shizune burst out, hands balled to fists, chakra flaring wildly. Memories of her early childhood in which the matron had told her time and time again that she needed to be fixed brought back an old yet familiar kind of rage Shizune had never quite gotten over.

“Those around you look at you and see something they cannot understand, something they fear for it fears nothing in turn. You are not afraid of the dark or what you have not yet encountered before. You followed Cama simply because you desired to. Your curiousity is your driving force and unlike most, you are not held back by something as mundane as _fear_.” The voice was neutral but to Shizune, sounded strangely like approval. She squared her shoulders and raised her chin.

“I am not afraid of _anything_.”

“Indeed,” the voice hummed and Shizune felt the bat settle back on top of her head, rubbing the tips of its wings against her hair. She reached up then, and carefully brushed the tip of her finger against the leathery texture, felt its fur and didn't startle when something cold and wet licked her skin.

“Cama has made his choice and he is ever so difficult to deny.” The bat hopped off her head and crawled up her shoulder, burrowing itself into the neckline of her kimono, its body pressing against her bare skin.

“We are the guides of this world, the ones who fly in the night, the ones without fear, who lead those who are lost to where they need to go.” Shizune hissed when suddenly there was a sharp pain in her neck and only barely resisted the tempation to take the bat who'd bitten her and throw it into the air. The sting disappeared as quickly as it had come and once it faded, she felt an odd sensation just underneath her skin.

“We will set you on your path and never stray from your journey as long as you feed us in turn.” Without warning, Shizune's chakra flared, once, twice, countless more times while she tried her best to force it back under her control. Nothing she attempted, worked. Energy pulsed in and around her body causing an ever-growing headache.

“We require a tribute paid in souls, feed on the residue left behind by those slain in our name.” Shizune's lips parted and from her throat rose an unearthly screech of pain and agony as her head was cleaved in two. Blood poured from her ears and she crumbled to the ground, senseless, blind and deaf to anything but the fierce ache shaking her to her very core.

“Will you do this, child? Will you follow us wherever we lead you and honour our pact?” Stars danced in front of Shizune's eyes when the agony finally faded. Her entire body was dumb, cotton sat in her mouth and she was unable to move, do little more than roll her head to the side to where she suspected the voice to be.

“I... want... to- to be... where I don't... have to... be d- different. I want... to be my own... master...” she gasped in between harsh breaths, disturbing the silence as her head rested on cold stone. The bat sat on her chest once more before staggering closer and bumping its head against her chin. Just then, Shizune suddenly... felt... its presence. It was right there and the harder she concentrated on it, the more she could make out the shape of its heads, the span of its wings, even the nick in its left ear.

“We know of a place. Of a woman,” the voice replied and now that it spoke, Shizune felt an eerie sense of... mass tied to the voice that had been formless before. Following the sound, her sense bounced off a few walls until they hit something warm and moving. Whatever it was, was giant and taking up almost the entire ceiling of the massive cavern she found herself in. It loomed above her with wings so large and wide they could lift a hundred Shizunes. It was a bat.

“You have taken well to our blessing. It seems Cama was right after all.” The tiny bat, Cama, chirped before once more crawling beneath Shizune's kimono until only its head poked out.

“I am Sotz. By offering me your name, you agree to bond with us,” the giant bat spoke and now that Shizune was aware of it, she could feel every single animal that stuck to the cavern's walls. Thousands of bats of varying sizes and shapes lined the ceiling. The darkness still clouded her sight but Shizune was intimately aware of every single crease, every nook and cranny, the exact texture of the rock surrounding her. Her chakra sense was gone and replaced by something far greater.

“You'll lead me to that woman? And all I have to do is kill for you?” Shizune asked, wary of making a pact with the kind of summons that was so obscure it had never been taught about in the academy. If she signed her soul away she would make sure it was at least worth it. (What else was she going to do with her soul? Keep it and never make use of it?)

“We will guide you until the day you abandon us. Keep sacrificing souls in our name and we shall never fail you.” Pulling herself off the ground, Shizune straightened her back and tilted her head upwards to stare at Sotz.

“I am Shizune,” she spoke and felt a sudden tug in her chest. Cama chirped and chattered and Shizune got the distinct impression that he approved.

“Very well, Shizune. Let Cama take you and go. And if you ever find yourself on a battlefield, call for me and let me feast.” Shizune nodded just as Cama crawled out of her clothing and took flight. He zoomed in front of her, danced around her head, then shot off. Without a second thought, Shizune closed her eyes, focused on her senses and launched herself off the ground.

When she jumped through the opening of the cave and felt the fresh air on her skin, she kept her eyes shut and for the first time in her life, tasted freedom.

_We will show you the way. Always._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, yes. Cama and Sotz. I went there. Don't hate. :D


	4. Summons - Sakura: Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a bit longer, sorry about that but here it is!
> 
> https://flic.kr/p/2jKPJuG for the image.
> 
> ALSO! I spent yesterday designing various outfits for the three. A casual, travel and war outfit each. The image itself is huge so I broke it down into various closeups. Link for those are here: https://chararii.tumblr.com/post/630982951412318208/beware-the-three-outfit-design-so-i-spent-today
> 
> Some rambling concerning the design choices: 
> 
> Tsunade's style is probably closest to her canon design - she's attractive and she flaunts it though her travel choices are more sensible. While they're on the move a lot, they are based in the Land of Frost so her outdoor/travel garb is warmer than her indoor choice. As for her war outfit, part of that is completely self-indulgent and the other half is determined by her combat style. She's not a frontline fighter and kept her physical training regimen to a minimum since she spent the years on her research and refining her necromantic abilities. She enters the fight last and raises the bodies of those Sakura and Shizune killed so with her army, she's very much a backline tank type of person. She doesn't move much, is kept safe both by her corpses and Shizune so she has a more dramatic feel to her with long flowing swathes of cloth.
> 
> Shizune is your stereotypical assassin. She's the non-descript one that does all the people business and the moneymaking since her method of killing leaves no obvious trace. Also, due to her psychopathic tendencies and her role as Tsunade's spy, she's well versed in mimicking others and faking just the right emotion at the right time. Since she's an agile fighter she sticks to pants and more sensible choices, asymmetric cloak aside because she got all the edge in my design choices. The mask she wears in her war outfit is because of Sakura since Shizune is in the thick of things, surrounded by Sakura's contagion which enters people's bodies through the respiratory system. Also, since her main antagonist is Kakashi, it's a nice touch imo.
> 
> Sakura is the youngest and still clings to that girlish spirit which is why she wears skirts. The mask she wears for obvious reasons; both to avoid making Shizune and Tsunade sick (sick, not dead, because they keep a basic immunity to her contagion) and to avoid killing people on accident. She's a walking, talking biohazard and while she keeps her Absolute Contagion deactivated in non-combat situations, her breath is still very much deadly. I had her style nailed as "murder gremlin" which imo shows the strongest in her travel garb. As for her war outfit, her body is her weapon so she only wears very little so the contagion can spread easily. She's protected against close-range attacks since whoever comes into her range gets infected immediately. Her weakness is ranged attackers but Shizune is very much the one who keeps those threats away from both Sakura and Tsunade.
> 
> Sorry for the rambling lol but hey, someone might be interested and I certainly am enthusiastic enough about it.

Summons III: Friend

“Haruno!” Sakura flinched as her head shot up, wide green eyes focused on the man at the front of the room.

“Would you care to repeat what I just said?” She kept her mouth shut, stared at her teacher whose brows furrowed deeper with each second that passed. Mitsuki-sensei was popular but they didn't really get along. He didn't hate her as much as the annoying blonde kid that hardly ever attended class. Still...

“That's detention for you,” the man declared, the announcement followed by a round of nasty chuckles from Ami and her friends. They'd probably wait for her just so they could shove her in the dirt and ruin another dress. Her mother was going to be furious. Sakura ducked her head and made herself as small as possible while Mitsuki-sensei resumed his lecture. Eyes focused on him, she pretended to listen.

It wasn't that she wasn't interested. Sakura loved learning. Studying. All the bits and pieces that made shinobi life interesting. But there was only so much excitement to be had when one spent most of their days in the library and had already worked through most of the curriculum. Class itself was terribly boring but still better than physical training. It simply wasn't her strength and when she came home sweaty and bruised, mother always looked so disappointed.

Their relationship was already strained. No need to make it worse.

“...move on to the Third Great War.”

“But sensei! What about the second?” Sakura half-heartedly turned her head to glance at the Yamanaka.

“It's not relevant to your education,” Mitsuki-sensei deflected and Sakura sighed. While she didn't have much, if any, interaction with the blonde, she knew her well enough to know that she wasn't likely to simply accept his words and move on.

“But why? Isn't it important? My dad works with Orochimaru-sama sometimes and isn't that when he became famous?” A visible shudder ran through Sakura at the mention of the sannin. She'd met him, only once, on the day of her internship at the R&D labs. He'd swept by her without another word as she listened to Nodoka-san explain the process of analysing samples. She had stood next to the dark-haired woman and asked question after question to the approval of her assigned mentor.

He'd stopped then and turned around. Yellow eyes had drilled themselves into hers as he quietly studied her from head to toe as if assigning her worth. Sakura still vividly remembered what being caught in his stare had felt like. It was not a memory she cherished.

“The council has decided that the Second Great War is not to be covered in history class anymore. If you're that interested, the library offers numerous books on the subject.” Sakura raised her head at that.

“That's not true. They don't have anything on the war.” The whole class turned around to look at her. Sakura didn't speak up often, if ever, and positively wilted under the attention. Mitsuki-sensei glowered at her, instantly making her regret ever having opened her mouth in the first place.

“Am I to believe then that you sampled the entire library?” Within an instant, Sakura shut down. Her grades were average. She wasn't the brightest, or the strongest.

“...no, sensei,” she replied and tried to ignore how much it hurt to utter those words. It was still better than being ridiculed for pretending to be smart or well-read when everyone knew she wasn't. She was just Haruno, civilian-born, only saving grace her high levels of chakra control. Without those, she would have been a shoo-in for the genin corps.

One day, Sakura quietly told herself, she'd prove them all wrong.

“That's such a stupid decision though! Aren't we supposed to learn from the past or something? Why would they just decide to not teach us about it!” Grateful that the room's attention shifted back to Yamanaka, Sakura deflated, unhappy and miserable. She couldn't wait for the day of her graduation. One more year and she'd be on a team of her own, make chuunin as fast as possible, then apply for reassignment to R&D.

Nodoka-san had encouraged her to further her interest, having seen through Sakura's fake ignorance within moments of being introduced to her. She wouldn't mind working with the woman. Nodoka-san was a bit quiet which Sakura liked and more than that, the smartest person she'd ever come across. She had approved of Sakura being curious, of being _clever_. Not like her parents who'd never known how to deal with a daughter that wasn't like the perfect civilian child they'd wanted.

“My father told me it's because one of the sannin left the village and has become a criminal.” Sakura's neck cracked as her head snapped to the side.

“The Hokage's former student, right? Tsunade.” She stared at the Nara and the Akimichi both of which only ever talked to each other.

“What? We learned about lots of criminals! Why would they ban an entire war just because a missing-nin was part of it?” From the corner of her eye, Sakura caught the subtle flinch of the usually stoic and poised Uchiha.

“Dunno. Must've done something really bad,” one of the boys offered with a shrug. She stared at him, hoping he would speak up again. If Sakura loved one thing, it was learning something new. Especially something that wasn't common knowledge. What could the woman have possibly done to cause an entire chunk of Konoha's history to be removed from the history books?

“I- isn't s- she c-c-called the N-”

“Enough!” Mizuki-sensei banged his hand onto his desk, interrupting the Hyuuga heir before she could finish her sentence. Sakura groaned in frustration and buried her head in her hands. The what?! _Called the what_?!

“You are not to discuss this topic any further. And Hyuuga, didn't your father tell you that mentioning that name is strictly forbidden?!” Fantastic. The girl turned a furious red and stammered an apology. If Sakura had any chance of approaching her after class and asking her to repeat herself, it was gone now. She wouldn't tell her anything.

“Now. The Third Great War-” Time crawled as Sakura pretended to pay attention while her mind ran in circles. She loved a good mystery, for that reason alone had thrived during her week interning at the labs. She loved thinking, solving puzzles, finding solutions. But this seemed like a dead-end from the start and she hated it. Without the library, a civilian-born academy student like her had no way to get the information she so desired.

Class ended and when it did, Sakura was the first that left the room. Her teacher only barely managed to yell the date for her detention after her before she fled the academy grounds. She couldn't risk Ami getting to her. Sakura slowed down once she reached the edge of her favourite park.

Her father was likely still busy with work and her mother wouldn't expect her for another hour. Their lack of interest in Sakura's career came in handy sometimes. She meandered for a while until she sat down on one of the benches, head tilted backwards, staring at the sky. Her thoughts still somewhat clung to the subject of the woman nobody dared talk about. It wasn't that Sakura was interested in her specifically, just... for the sake of it. Without friends or a family that cared much for the things she enjoyed, Sakura had found other ways to entertain herself.

She wasn't quite sure how long she sat on that bench, letting her thoughts wander and staring at the clouds above. Her thoughts went back and forth from the forbidden topic to the trouble she'd get in during and after detention, to her mother's inevitable dressing-down, to Nodoka-san who was one of the few people Sakura could confidently claim she simply _missed_.

Her musing were interrupted eventually when something warm and furry brushed against her ankle. Sakura flinched and let out a quiet yelp as she automatically pulled her legs upwards, onto the bench. Shifting forwards so she could peek at whatever it was that touched her, Sakura's lips parted slightly upon coming face to face with a rat.

It stood on its hind legs, nose sniffing the air, round shiny black eyes staring right at her. Its fur was quite dark and smooth with a shimmer that Sakura hadn't seen on any other rat before. They tended to look dirty and scruffy. This one was clean and seemed healthy instead of mangy. The animal sneezed and when it moved, the shimmer shifted, gleaming in a faint dark green.

“You're really pretty.” Sakura didn't know what possessed her to talk to a rat. If she'd reached such levels of loneliness that she was ready to take whatever she could. Even if it was a rodent. The rat blinked at her before bringing its paws to its mouth, licking them and moving them across its head. The way its whiskers twitched was so cute, Sakura giggled quietly and leaned even closer. It stilled, then met her halfway and when she slowly extended a finger, bumped its head against the digit.

“I'm Sakura,” she said and decided to silence the voice that told her she was being ridiculous. People talked to animals all the time and it wasn't like Ami was around to make fun of her for it. The rat tilted its head to the side before rubbing itself against her hand. As gently as possible, Sakura moved her finger along its fur, marvelling at its softness. Her mother hated rats, shrieked and chased them away. She called them dirty and disgusting but this one, Sakura thought, was nothing like that.

“...has to be here somewhere!” Sakura's eyes went wide at the sound of Ami's voice.

“...always runs and hides like a _rat_ -” She flinched and quickly withdrew her hand as she scrambled off the bench.

“Sorry,” she whispered and shot the animal one last glance before she whirled around and ran away from Ami and her friends.

Later that night, after receiving a thorough tongue lashing from her mother for coming home late and sweaty, Sakura didn't go to bed straight away. Instead, she stared out of her window, chin resting on the sill, hands restless and agitated.

“One day,” she told herself.

“One day.”

“And don't forget about the party! Your father worked very hard to organise it.” Nodding obediently, Sakura accepted her bento box and allowed her mother to fuss over her hair for a minute until she was satisfied. With a small smile and wave she left their home and went on her way to the academy.

After her detention last week, her mother had been especially critical of everything Sakura did or said. She was on thin ice with both of her parents which only strengthened her resolve to get through the way with the utmost caution. The party, no matter how much Sakura despised those gatherings, was her chance to set the record straight. If she messed up... she didn't dare entertain the possible consequences.

Class was boring as usual. Sakura spent the majority of the day facing her teachers and fading in the background to avoid being called upon. Some days she lacked the patience to put on a show she had come close to mastering. 'One day', turned into her personal mantra years ago though now she practically chanted it like a prayer. It kept her focused and squashed the urge to open her mouth.

Leaving the academy grounds felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest. Claiming that class was her personal nightmare would go a bit far though really, it wasn't that far off. Sakura preferred being by herself for a multitude of reasons. The walk home was as boring and uneventful as ever so she mentally prepared herself for the party that loomed above her head like a thundercloud. Having to wear uncomfortable clothes, smile and wave and small talk for hours at a time was the absolute worst.

“Ugly thing!” Sakura wasn't proud of reacting to that as if someone had called her name but continued exposure to Ami had taught her that sometimes a lack of pride and dignity prevented further confrontation. Looking for a head of purple, Sakura failed to spot Ami's trademark hair and with a sigh of relief turned around to leave when a flash of green in the corner of her eye caught her attention.

“It's probably sick! Squash it! Squash it like a bug!” Despite herself, Sakura looked. A gaggle of teenagers that had to be at least two years older than her formed a half circle in front of a wall. Between them, on the ground and bleeding from a shallow wound to the head, was a rat.

“I don't want to touch it! You do it!” Sakura's eyes took in the colourful shimmer of its fur that looked silkier than that of ordinary rats, the slight nick in its left ear and felt her fingers twitch.

“Just stomp on it, you don't even need to touch it!” She vividly recalled the feel of its fur, its cold nose, the way the animal had approached her and bumped its head against her finger-

“Ok, ok. I'll do it. Coward.” One of the boys stalked closer to the rat whose head listlessly rolled to the side, eyes flittering back and forth, searching but not finding. It looked dizzy and disoriented. If one of the boys hadn't presumably hit it in the head with a rock, it could escape. Like this, it was going to find its end under the soles of a cruel kid's boot.

From one moment to the next, the rat shifted to the side, its head now directly fazing Sakura. She stared at the rodent, gazed right into black eyes as the boy lifted his foot, ready to crush it into a bloody mess.

She didn't know what possessed her. Within a second, Sakura crossed the distance between her and him. A moment later, when the boy was a hair's breadth away from killing the animal, he was shoved aside by a tiny pink blur.

“What the hell?!” Time stopped as Sakura stood over the rat, caught in the mesmerising shift of colors that changed with each shallow breath it took and the sparkle in its eyes. She bowed down and extended her arms, ready to pick it up when suddenly, she found herself tipping forward and shoved face first in the dirt.

“Who do you think you are, huh, girl?” The boy spat 'girl' as if it was an insult and Sakura growled as she tried to wiggle free. A foot dug into her back and pinned her to the ground. She jerked her body, once, then remembered that the boys were civilians. And harming civilians, even in self-defense, was a one-way ticket out of the academy.

“You ruined my damn jacket,” the boy she'd shoved growled and dug his heel into her spine. Sakura groaned in pain and tried to move her hands out from underneath her body. When her left hand came into contact with something warm and soft, she stilled before moving the animal closer to her chest. It didn't wiggle or protest and if she couldn't feel the beat of its heart against her index finger, she'd think it was dead.

“I'll show you what happens to dumb kids around here!” Sakura clenched her eyes shut and steeled her body for the inevitable confrontation. She was used to getting scrapes and hoped that none of these boys could hit harder than her classmates. With bated breath, she waited for the impending pain when suddenly, a voice cut through the ambient noise like a knife.

“What do you think you're doing?” Something in the back of Sakura's mind clicked as her brain matched the voice to its owner. Someone she knew.

“Shit. Run!” Just like that the pressure on her back was gone and when hands reached for her shoulders the touch was gentle and careful. Still cradling the rat to her chest, Sakura was rolled onto her back and met by the large dark eyes of Nodoka-san. The dark-haired woman's face was as impassive and slightly chilly as always yet Sakura was overjoyed to see her nontheless. Neither said a single word as the woman took in Sakura's dishevelled appearance, the dirt and blood staining her clothes as well as the injured animal in her hands. Sakura wasn't quite sure if she imagined it or not, but the woman's eyes lit up upon spotting the rat. Less than a second later, the glint had vanished.

“Academy students are allowed to defend themselves against civilians,” Nodoka-san spoke quietly before her hands lit up in a faint green glow. Moving them across Sakura's superficial injuries, the girl watched them close on their own with wide eyes. Bit by bit the pain receded and was replaced by a pleasant tingle.

“But the books say-”

“To discourage you from willfully attacking civilians and claiming it was self defence,” the woman interrupted her and once Sakura's bruises were taken care of, reached for the rat. Sakura opened her hands so she could access the rodent.

“You have a history of being bullied and being non-confrontational. They wouldn't doubt your claims.” To Sakura that sounded suspiciously like the woman telling her that Sakura might as well get away with doing whatever she wanted. Perhaps that was just her general paranoia and mistrust speaking though.

“The rat. Is it yours?” Sakura looked down on the animal that, now that its wounds were healed, began to stir once more, eyes moving between Sakura and Nodoka-san with a kind of intuitive curiousity Sakura undeniably liked.

“No. I met it a few days ago and then earlier when the boys were going to kill it, I...” she trailed off, unsure how to put her thought process into words. The decision to step in hadn't been conscious. Sakura had interfered with pure instinct. Nodoka-san's face was as impassive as ever but this time Sakura was certain she didn't imagine the faint satisfaction that flittered across her features.

“You are loyal. Perhaps unreasonably so.” Sakura frowned and let the woman help her up. Looking down at herself she grimaced. Her appearance was a lost cause and her mother would not be happy about that.

“I like it. It's pretty and smart. It just came up to me and let me pet it. I...”

“It is not unusual for those who are lonely to find companionship with animals.” If the woman spoke from experience or not Sakura didn't know but just from the sound of her voice, she could guess that there was more to her words, something more she didn't say. The rat wiggled free and climbed up Sakura's sleeve, taking refuge on her shoulder. Nodoka-san's dark eyes watched carefully, lingered for a moment before the woman withdrew and stepped back.

“You will make it home?” she asked and Sakura nodded.

“Thank you... for helping me,” she added shyly with a small smile at the woman's barely noticeable nod. And then, just like that, she was gone, disappeared into nothingness with little more than faint remnants of dark smoke lingering in the air. Sakura sighed once, then squinted at the rat which returned her gaze and held it.

“Do you want me to take you somewhere? The woods maybe?” The rat stared, then licked its front paws and moved them over its head.

“A different alley?” The animal sneezed.

“Um... near a restaurant?” Faster than Sakura could react, the rat crawled into the narrow space between her neck and the collar of her dress until only its head poked out.

“You... you want to stay with me?” And then, Sakura received the shock of her lifetime, when the animal opened its mouth and _spoke_.

“Friend.” It was barely a squeak, so high and distorted Sakura almost missed it. But she didn't. And flinched violently.

“You can talk?” she hissed and stepped backwards, further into the alley, head turning left and right to make sure nobody had noticed them.

“You. Friend,” it repeated, beady black eyes meeting her own jade ones. And then it _nodded_.

“Friend.” Sakura stared, at a complete loss of words, mouth opening and closing. Animals couldn't speak. The rat actually communicating with her was an impossibility-

Unless...

“Are you... are you a summon...?” she asked tentatively, crouching down and ignoring the pain in her neck as she strained it to keep side-eyeing the rat. The animal sniffed and rubbed its head against her neck.

“Ata. Swarm family. You friend of Ata. You friend of Swarm.” Sakura blinked at the rat and took a deep breath. Her mother-

No. Nevermind her mother. Sakura bit her lip, then balled her hands to fists. This was for her and for her only.

“I'm Sakura,” she replied and closed her eyes briefly, forcefully banishing all negative thoughts and worries from her mind.

“Sakura. Friend.” The rat crawled out from its improvised nest and climbed down her arm until it stood on her hands, staring directly into her eyes. It seemed to wait for something and after returning its stare for a full minute, Sakura tentiatively opened her mouth.

“...Friend,” she said and the rat nodded before returning to the inside of her collar.

“Sak friend. Tomorrow Sak meet swarm.” Sakura breathed once, twice, then nodded.

“Okay.”

Hours later, after her mother had yelled at her and sent her to bed without dinner, Sakura laid in bed, the rat – Ata – curled up against her neck. The initial shock had worn off and, upon realising that the rat was determined to stay by her side, Sakura had found that she wanted it to. She didn't have any friends and while it was easy to ignore the bone-deep loneliness she felt day in, day out, now that it was gone... she could almost breathe easier.

“Swarm will like Sak. Sak sign paper. Sak be Swarm, too.” Despite herself, Sakura smiled and curled up into a ball.

“Friend,” she repeated with all the emotion she ordinarily kept ever so close to her chest and fell asleep, calmer than she'd been in years.

Outside, sitting on a branch and staring at her through the window sat a single tiny bat, keeping watch until the first rays of sunlight hit the rooftops of Konohagakure no Sato.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Upcoming chapter title: Sakura: Retrieval.


	5. Tsunade and Shizune: Misfit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I lied. No Sakura. But next time. I promise.
> 
> I also realised I need to dial it back on the art because, haha, I am stretching myself too thin. But still. Enjoy.

When she first spotted the girl sitting in a tree, looming like a shadow, her first instinct had been to chuck a kunai in her direction. Not to kill or injure her, just enough to spook her so she left. She didn't get many visitors since those who lived in the nearby village knew just enough to stay away. She stopped by once a week to get food and whatever else she needed, but beyond that had no interaction at all with the locals.

It didn't stop some of their curious young ones from attempting to sniff out the secrets of 'the creepy lady living in that formerly abandoned haunted manor'. They were a hassle but even five years of living in the frozen wastes of Frost country hadn't been enough to turn her into the kind of monster that willingly killed civilian children.

So when that girl, who effortlessly balanced on the only branch strong enough to support its weight didn't yelp or move, didn't even flinch when the kunai whizzed past its ear to burrow into the bark, Tsunade reconsidered her earlier stance. Neither of them moved or spoke a word. She squinted at the girl, took in the dark cloak hiding her clothing, and the bangs that obstructed her sight.

Not a civilian. Some chakra that ran in her veins but not enough to consider her a serious threat but Tsunade, who had managed to stay alive thanks to her paranoia, was well aware of how deceiving appearances could be. Especially after having almost met her end at the hands of a Kiri hunting party three years prior.

“Did Konoha send you?” They still did that, occasionally. It would worry Tsunade more if she hadn't made good use of the years between her defection and now. In the back of her mind, she reached for the threads that connected her to her thralls and pulled at them.

The girl didn't reply but Tsunade, who had learned the merits of patience was content to wait just a little longer. Every second that passed brought her thralls closer to the girl, drastically reducing her chances of survival in the event of a confrontation. After all, age meant little to the prodigious sons and daughters of the shinobi world.

“Smoking is going to kill you.” Tsunade's brows rose sky-high at the girl's random statement. Her voice was high but cold, detached in a way that sounded entirely unique. Some of it jogged her memory yet not enough to help Tsunade realise just where she had heard it before.

“And you won't?” she asked before reaching into the pocket of her own cloak, retrieving another cigarette. She was no heavy smoker, indulged occasionally, but she had been restless lately and could only purchase so much sake from the villagers before they ran out. The girl seemed to contemplate this, tilting her head to the side. The movement brought a small smirk to Tsunade's lips. To anyone else, it would look natural but she knew a practised tick when she saw one.

“Not yet. In the future, maybe.” Cocky, then. Or, Tsunade corrected herself as she took in the stillness of her form, and the general air of calm surrounding her, something else entirely. Nothing about that girl was genuine except the silence. Konoha wouldn't pick someone like that to hunt her down. Nor, she suspected, would any other village.

“You'll have to do better, then. You've been watching the manor for days. Don't think I didn't notice.” Half of that was true. Since the bonding and then working with the moths, Tsunade's sensor capabilities had skyrocketed and the girl had been a blip on the edge of her awareness for a while. She hadn't known it was her, had expected a would-be assassin. Still, she had waited. Protected by her fortress and her thralls, she was virtually untouchable.

They were back to silence after that. Tsunade relaxed without letting her guard down as she let the smoke fill her lungs, lingered for a mere moment before she exhaled and her chakra automatically consumed the remnants. The girl still crouched on her branch, endlessly content to observe and do little else. Until:

“I was told to find you.” Tsunade mulled over her choice of words, the lack of inflection. There was a hint of curiousity in her voice. All in all the likelihood of her belonging to any village whatsoever decreased with every second that passed. Tsunade hummed thoughtfully as she dropped the remnants of her smoke into the snow.

“My location isn't exactly commonly known,” she pointed out and it was true. She was on the move a lot, both to further her research and fulfill the odd contract to boost her income. Life as S-Rank missing-nin wasn't exactly glorious or exciting. As long as she stayed out of Fire country and away from its borders, hid her hair with a hood, and relied on her basic skills, she laid low enough to avoid attention most days. And she never, ever, left a trail.

“I have a guide.” Have, not had. Still, the girl was alone. Tiny moths guarded the perimeter, stuck to trees and branches, boosting Tsunade's own awareness. If there were anyone else accompanying her, she would have been aware of it. That one became more curious by the minute and the past few weeks had been incredibly monotonous.

“His name is Cama.” _Cama_ , the voice in her head whispered, _of the bats_. A summon, then. And not any summon either. Whyever would those scorned and banned by the five major villages take interest in a girl just around academy graduation age? _For the same reason we took interest in you_ , the murmur supplied and Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

“And why did the bats lead you to me?” For the first time since they had begun talking, the girl moved. She shifted, then dropped onto the ground without making a single sound. The bangs covered the upper half of her face and yet something about the cut and colour was familiar, just like her voice. She couldn't help but wonder if she knew the girl, if they'd met before, but considering Tsunade's defection and years in exile, the notion was beyond unlikely.

“I left Konoha but didn't know where to go. The bats said I could go to you.” Now that, Tsunade had not expected. Missing-nin tended to be older than that. She stared at the girl, squinted at the tiny furry head that peeked out from the inside of her hood, and had more questions than answers.

“I'm a criminal, kid. Not a babysitter.” Not that the girl looked like she needed one. There had to be something special about her, for her to survive meeting the bats in the first place. Her soul seemed intact, unclaimed by those who feast upon mortal essences. Not to mention that she had made her way from Konoha all the way to Frost, then through the frozen wastes without starving or freezing to death.

“I can take care of myself.” A spark of irritation had made it onto her face, showed itself in the flash of a sharp canine. The same budding anger echoed in her voice. A temper, then. That, Tsunade would relate to, no matter the number of things that seemed off about this child.

“Why should I put up with you then?” Tsunade asked, having no intention at all to be whatever the girl wanted her to be. She was too busy with her research, too busy trying to break the final barriers that kept her from attaining what she so craved. Undeath was its own science, not like she had initially believed, a simple state between life and death. And she fully intended to take it, break it down to its most basic component, and make it hers – so that one day she could reunite with those she never should have lost.

“I am good. Better than most. I can kill for you.” Tsunade snorted, didn't doubt that that slip of a girl was capable but overconfidence was a trait she refused to put up with. She still remembered where it had gotten her.

“I can do my own killing.” Not that she made a habit of it unless it was in self-defence. Contracts were one thing, bounties necessary to sustain herself. She was old and had taken more lives than she could count. But still, she didn't focus on it. Not like this girl apparently did.

“I don't attract attention. I look normal. You don't. People know you. Nobody knows me.” The unspoken 'yet' rang true and clear between them and Tsunade wasn't sure what really did it for her, but still, she found herself actually _looking_ at the child.

The cloak hid most of her appearance but couldn't hide her height that was most unusual for a girl her age. Tsunade estimated her to be around eleven or twelve. Her hair was short and dark, sleek, the cut uneven, suggesting she had trimmed it herself. Probably with one of the two knives she had strapped to her hips, blades she kept in excellent condition. She was quiet and still, not unlike a statue, and Tsunade couldn't help but wonder what a girl that seemed like a shoo-in for the ANBU corps did so far away from home.

“What did Konoha do to you, hm?” It wasn't a question of trust, not truly. No matter how good the girl might be, Tsunade had several safety measures in place to prevent an untimely death, especially so close to the place she had anchoured herself to. There was little this one could do to harm her. There was no reason for her to even ask these questions, but whatever it was that lingered just so out of reach, Tsunade was too curious to simply let it go. There was something she was _missing_ and she did not appreciate the feeling.

“I am different,” the girl replied after a brief pause and Tsunade's expert eye spotted a faint hint of discomfort. Nobody liked admitting to perceived imperfections yet it seemed to irk this child more than it would anyone else.

“I don't fit in. Nobody wants me on their team. They say...” The girl balled her fists and looked up. Some of her hair fell to the side and for the first time, Tsunade could see her eyes. Large black pools, as devoid of colour as the rest of her.

“They say I'm wrong. I'm not. There's _nothing_ wrong with me.” Sore point, then. Tsunade hummed before turning her body to the side, facing her, and crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“There's plenty wrong with you.” A bold statement, the effect of it became obvious immediately. The girl snarled and surged forwards, a mere blur of darkness, knives in her hands and aiming for Tsunade's throat. Truth be told, she had not expected the child to be this damn _fast_. Her physical regimen had fallen to the wayside as she had focused on her research and jutsu, developed ways to fight smart and cunning as opposed to straight-forward and blunt as she used to. She almost failed to avert the attack in time. Almost.

Grabbing the girl's wrists, she used her own momentum against her and launched her backwards, at the tree she had sat on earlier. The girl twisted mid-air, met the bark with her feet and pushed herself off the tree to come at Tsunade once more. This time, she applied just a little bit of chakra to her grip and was both surprised and somewhat pleased to note that the girl barely even flinched as fragile bone gave in beneath her grip.

They went back and forth for a while. Tsunade entertained the child's rage more than she genuinely defended herself although it soon became clear that there had been some merit to her confidence. If the girl continued to train Tsunade had no doubt that it would take her no time at all to become too fast for even her to keep up. Tsunade had always been strong and intelligent. Never fast or, indeed, subtle. She'd always stood out, always been _special_. This girl was neither. And yet...

Whirling around, she snatched the girl out of the air, fingers closing around her neck, just shy of snapping it. Showing no mercy or compassion, Tsunade slammed the child onto the ground and restrained her, one knee on either side of her body. She snarled and tried to fight but a small spark of chakra was enough to completely paralyse the girl. Her body went limp, but the fire in her eyes remained.

“I keep trying to remember when I've seen you before,” she mused and brushed some hair out of her face with her free hand. Everything about the child was delicate from her fine bone structure to the deceptive fragility of her features. It was a compelling mixture, one that Tsunade knew would turn her into a just slightly above average beauty in a few years to come. Average, just like the rest of her. Except, of course, for her sheer speed and the way she handled her knives, with utmost care and precision.

“There's nothing interesting about you, certainly not enough for anyone to keep you in their thoughts.” She wasn't being cruel, at least not in her own opinion. The girl clearly had some issues, probably a past filled with bullies, and a viciousness that was untempered by fear or morals. Someone like that would prove too trying to work with. But also...

“What did the bats see in you, I wonder.” She would never stand out, forever cursed to fade into the background. Cursed? Or _blessed_. Tsunade thought of the way she had always turned heads, from the moment she had been born. How there had always been expectations, demands, attention. How failing to meet them had branded her harsher than it would have anyone else. Konoha had always expected Orochimaru to fall. Instead, it had been its beloved princess. And wasn't that just the greatest betrayal of them all.

“Why did you really leave? What is it that you really _want_.” Tsunade withdrew her chakra from the girl's head, allowing her to speak. She stayed silent for a moment, glowering at her with the kind of deeply-rooted hatred that spoke of so much more than simple distaste.

“Free,” the girl eventually spat out.

“I want to be free.” A dangerous desire, freedom. Tsunade knew that better than anyone else. And wasn't this why she was here, in this frozen wasteland, posing as an eccentric and unapproachable spinster? She had resigned herself to her fate, mostly, but looking at that girl, seeing the fire, the passion, the emotion that painted such a stark contrast to her usual detached stoicism...

It reminded her of a time when she, too, had wanted more.

“Your name?” Tsunade asked, not yet releasing her grip, still watching the girl's every move, every twitch. She was changed when she was angry, seemed to know no more than either of her two states of mind, eternally trapped between rage and void. A fragmented state of mind. One Tsunade knew, deep down, she could handle.

“Shizune.”

 _Oh_.

“His niece,” Tsunade murmured without realising. She'd let go, withdrawn her hand, except the girl hadn't moved. Now she saw it. The crease of their eyes, the shape of their jaws. Absolutely identical. She remembered the shadow that had followed him, the quiet and unremarkable presence _he had been so proud of_ -

“You know me. I don't know you.” Of course the girl would have been too young to remember. She'd been an orphan even then, lived in the orphanage because the council had ruled his claim too weak to adopt a child they considered a problem case. The one with anger issues, he had confided in her. The one who was different. The one who was a misfit. He had still loved her. Loved her so very much.

“Do you remember your uncle?” Tsunade asked quietly, unable to tear herself away from the memories that rose to the surface. The world around them had stilled, fallen silent, a moment forever frozen in time. The girl stared at her, lips pressed into a thin line, hands loosely resting against the hilt of her knives. She hadn't gotten to her feet yet.

“No,” she replied and whether she was lying or not, wasn't clear to Tsunade who looked and looked and couldn't stop seeing _him_.

“I loved him,” Tsunade said, unsure why, usually knew better than to share. But still.... what were the odds. That out of all the misfit children, it was this one that had found its way onto Tsunade's doorstep. A coincidence? She had stopped believing in coincidences long ago.

“I don't understand love,” the girl, Shizune, said and Tsunade tilted her head, face as empty as her heart.

“No. You wouldn't.” Tsunade saw many things when she watched the girl. She saw anger and hatred directed at those who looked down on her, mocked her, thought less of her. She saw a need to be solitary, free, unbound and not choked by rules or the expectations of others. She saw a damaged mind that made her different and wrong and a malfunction in the eyes of the system.

“I will raise him from the dead. One day.” The girl didn't react the way others would have, showed no emotion, stayed the blank slate she was. A blank slate just waiting to be shaped by expert hands. A blank slate that had his flesh and his blood and she, who had once been willing to take all of him, could not look away.

“There are rules. There always are. You will follow them.” The girl opened her mouth to snarl, once more overtaken by her rage once the switch had been flipped. Tsunade spoke up before she could and said:

“And I will teach you.” Shizune's mouth snapped shut with an audible click. She was still obviously displeased, would prove to be a test upon Tsunade's nerves, she could already tell. But she was his. A small part, a mere shadow, but he rested in her face and even in her silence.

“Come,” she said and got to her feet, didn't offer her hand, let the girl get back up on her own. Tsunade turned around and waded through the snow towards the mansion. She didn't need to look to know the girl followed at a small distance, cautious and slow, broken and twisted as she was. A true misfit in every sense of the word, too jagged and sharp for Konoha to handle and foster.

But then again, it wasn't like Tsunade was any different. She herself had never fit into the system that had raised her.

So really, who was she to judge?


	6. Sakura: Flight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. This ended up being much longer than planned.

“Haaa, that was so easy!” A wide grin on his face and arms interlocked behind his head, Uzumaki Naruto strode ahead of them out of the building. Right behind him was Uchiha Sasuke who didn't bother commenting, preferring to remain quiet and sullen. And after him... was Sakura. As always.

“Mah mah, that was only the first test. You still have two to go.” The blonde jumped when their sensei appeared out of nowhere in a cloud of smoke. Sakura crossed her arms in front of her chest and turned away from her team, closing her eyes and breathing in the fresh air instead. The exam room had been stuffy and full of chakra after the various ways the other genin had cheated their way through the exam.

“If they were anything like the first, how hard can they be,” the Uchiha spoke dismissively and Sakura couldn't quite stop the roll of her eyes. While she'd been in favour of competing in the exams just so she could hopefully make chuunin as fast as possible and escape the hell that was her team situation, she really wished it didn't enhance her teammates less than desirable qualities. Their brashness and overconfidence grated on her nerves and made every second she had to spend in their company nigh unbearable.

“Does Miss Sunshine have an opinion too?” Sakura bit the inside of her cheek and refused to turn around. He wasn't worth it. Hadn't been worth it ever since he'd forced her to introduce herself only to mock her for her bland and empty answers. She had no desire to share even a fragment of herself with people who had never given a single damn about her.

“Eeeh, just ignore her, Kaka-sensei. She's been moody all day.” Her fingers twitched but the rest of her body remained completely still. Telling herself not to give them the satisfaction of getting a rise out of her, Sakura opted to leave them behind in order to join the foreign shinobi on their way to Training Ground 44. Until a hand found its way onto her shoulder and stopped her movement.

“Ah, Sakura-chan, you shouldn't separate from your team.” She'd shrugged off the hand before she even noticed. Her left eye twitched but she grit her teeth and remained still. He'd always done this. Made them run D-Rank after D-Rank, never teaching them anything, least of all her who had graduated with average marks and an average profile. Not that Sakura had ever sought his counsel. She had better friends and better teachers. The warm furry presence hiding in the pocket of her jacket squeaked quietly.

She turned to find herself staring right into the jounin's masked face, met his stupid eye-smile with an empty canvas she adopted whenever she was in his presence. For years she'd been telling herself that one day she would be rid of those that looked down on her. One. Damn. Day.

Sakura didn't bother listening to their chatter as they, too, slowly wandered through the village, past the gates and towards the dark forest that made up the entirety of their next exam environment. She craned her head to stare upwards, following trees that never seemed to end and allowed her only a glimpse of the utter gloom and desolation that laid past them.

“Now, I'm not allowed to tell you anything about what awaits you. Just be careful, be aware of your surroundings and...” Sakura felt eyes on her so she looked down and found her sensei watching her every move.

“...rely on each other.” She couldn't quite help the frown that marred her features nor the way her upper lip twitched to reveal a mere hint of white teeth. Of course he would single her out like that. Because she was uncooperative, a loner, the dead weight of this team compromised of flashy powerhouses and clan legacies. Despite hiding behind mediocrity Sakura was still the brain of this team, not that it had ever meant even remotely as much as sheer power did. She couldn't _wait_ to pass the exam and be assigned to a place that knew the value of raw intelligence.

“Yeah yeah, we got it,” Naruto said with a dismissive wave and strode forwards, pulling Sasuke with him. Sakura wasted no time and followed, only to be held back by her sensei one last time.

“Sakura?” She took a deep breath and moved her hand on top of her pocket. Ata bumped his head against her palm and she felt her heartbeat calm. Without further acknowledging the jounin, she turned her head just enough to be able to see the man from the corner of her eye.

“You're not going to pass unless you work with them.” Gone was the fake jovial mask, in its place sober seriousness. He stared at her out of his single dark eye as if searching for something Sakura couldn't name. Perhaps he expected her to thank him. In that case, he was going to wait for a very long time. He let her go eventually, let his hand drop off her shoulder, and when he did, Sakura paid him no mind before leaving to join her team and the other genin.

Taking a single deep breath she fell in line and listened to the purple-haired T&I woman explain the next task. Despite his words, Sakura promised herself to succeed. She had to. She didn't know how much longer she could last. She was stretching herself too thin and unless she got that promotion, was looking at at least six more months of... this.

And that, Sakura decided, was unacceptable.

“Team Eight passed.”

“So did Team Ten.” Silence fell as the room's attention shifted to him. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed in front of his chest, eyes looking at the carpet below his feet. Still, he didn't miss his cue.

“Pass.” Not like he had expected anything less, truly. Naruto perhaps had been a surprise though by now Kakashi knew better than to still be truly surprised by anything the boy did. He stumbled through life without strategy or grace yet it always seemed to work out for him. Sasuke, he hadn't worried about for a second. The Sharingan was more than capable of turning a simple information-gathering exercise into a trivial matter.

And the girl... Kakashi sighed quietly to himself, confident that the low buzz of those around him covered up the noise. Sakura had once more proven that either her academy teachers had been woefully incompetent or, which was much more likely, that she had lied to the system for the entirety of her education. Why, he had never been able to figure out. Still, the flawless results she had achieved without cheating spoke for themselves.

He'd never quite known what to do with her and in turn, she had never been willing to meet him halfway. Him, or any of her teammates all of which rivaled each other in terms of sheer difficulty. Kakashi was convinced this entire assignment had been a punishment for past sins and the countless times he'd run late to a meeting with the Hokage. There was no other reason to throw three equally socially stunted and problematic children at him.

“Kakashi?” Blinking lazily he looked up. This time, he _had_ missed his cue. Most of the others had already left, most likely to watch the proceedings from the observation room. Only the jounin sensei of his generation and the Hokage remained.

“Naruto made a scene. Sasuke used his Sharingan. Sakura answered the questions.” That got the reaction he expected. Raised brows, obvious doubt, a frown on Kurenai's face. His only female genin had a reputation, one that didn't necessarily inspire confidence in her ability to simply pass the exam on sheer knowledge alone.

“Haruno? If I remember correctly she was only slightly above average upon graduating. Did you make her catch up on her studies?” Asuma asked and Kakashi couldn't help but snort quietly to himself. It just went to show that none of them had ever dealt with that girl. She had an uncanny talent to both do whatever he told her to without complaint but also never heed his counsel or advice, relying on her summons instead. A summons she still thought he knew nothing about.

“She's smarter than she looks.” Way to oversimplify the matter but despite the obvious distance between them and the fractured state of his team that he was sure would never properly fuse together, she was his. And it was his job to look out for her no matter how hard she made it.

“I for one, am looking forward to seeing how they will perform during the preliminaries.” Here, Kakashi tuned them out once more. He had faith in his team. They'd cut it close, needlessly complicate their task due to each member's stubbornness, but they would make it. Then, during the actual fights themselves had had no doubt either of his boys would make it. Sakura, on the other hand, he wasn't so sure about. Her physical condition was lacking and no matter how much she craved that promotion, ambition only got one so far. Unless she had something planned, her chances of progressing to the third task were slim.

His musings were interrupted when the door to the Hokage's office practically flew open and a harried-looking chuunin stormed inside. That in itself wasn't all that curious. What worried Kakashi, was the shadow that suddenly appeared in the darkest corner of the room. A shadow that had not been there before. He narrowed his eyes and shifted, his single uncovered eye never straying from the presence of the only sannin that still remained in the village.

“H- Hokage-sama,” the chuunin gasped, doubled over, trying to catch his breath. His vest was torn and a few shallow cuts littered his bare arms. Other than that, he was fine. Then, he looked up. And Kakashi saw the pure terror in his eyes. Only very few people could cause such a reaction and he had no desire to deal with any of them.

“Settle down. What happened to you?” The Hokage sounded calm and collected but Kakashi spotted the tension in his shoulders. He had come to the same conclusion. Something was roaming the forests of Konoha, and in the middle of the chuunin exams too? That couldn't possibly be a coincidence.

“M- my team was guarding the northern border close to Training Ground 44. We were ambushed by... I don't know. A group of foreign nin without headbands. They killed two of us. And then...” The chuunin paused, took a shaky breath, and grabbed the hem of his ruined sweater.

“Those two. Hino and Endo. They...” He raised his gaze, face ashen, eyes haunted.

“They got back up.” Silence. For a single moment, nobody moved or spoke, as a single word, a name, lingered at the forefront of their minds.

“Tsunade,” the Sandaime both hissed and cursed, eyes aflame, hands balled to fists. The errant sannin, the traitor, the one who went down a path so forbidden and vile there had been no redemption for her. Kakashi still dimly recalled her face that was connected to legend, glory, and reverence. He'd been a child when she had fled in the middle of the night, followed by sirens and ANBU that never returned to their families.

“She's been hiding for decades. Why is she here? Why now?” Kurenai asked as she exchanged nervous glances with Asuma. They too, worried about their teams. While the blonde sannin had laid low, never been tracked or found, considering the path she'd taken they were well within their rights to worry about their genin.

“She wants something. She wouldn't return to Konoha otherwise. Though the timing is... curious. The village is guarded. Our allies are present.” Kakashi was the only jounin who didn't flinch when Orochimaru spoke up and stepped out of his shadowy corner. He seemed pensive, rather than agitated. Unfazed though that man was hardly ever fazed by anything. Kakashi furrowed his brows and squinted at him, couldn't help but wonder if somehow the man knew more than he was willing to share.

“Did you see her?” The chuunin shook his head as he gradually calmed down, surrounded by allies and friends.

“I'm the only one left and only barely managed to get away,” he replied, causing Kakashi to frown in thought. While he'd never encountered the infamous Senju that had been all but removed from Konoha's history, negligence like that didn't seem to fit the profile of someone who had, allegedly, conquered death.

“A warning, then. To not interfere? She's always been vindictive but were she to try and attack Konoha she wouldn't pick the chuunin exams to do so.” The Sandaime interlocked his hands in front of his chin and hummed.

“Shouldn't we do something? Warn the children? If she's this close to the training grounds...” Kurenai offered, anxious, and itching to leave and gather her genin whom she treated like her own sons and daughter. Asuma, while outwardly more relaxed, had lit another cigarette. Kakashi's attention was still on the sannin.

“Sandaime-sama. The incident I reported a few days ago...” Orochimaru trailed off as the two exchanged a single glance before their eyes found Kakashi's.

“Your student, Kakashi. Haruno Sakura. How did she adjust to your team?” He did not like where this was going. Thinking about his answer for a second, Kakashi pushed his body off the wall and buried his hands in his pockets. Then, she shrugged.

“She's a bit cold but that's not too unusual. She would have done better with a more even-tempered team, as I stated a few weeks after receiving the assignment.” He had done that, had put in a request to move the girl to Kurenai's team and receive the Inuzuka instead. A volatile combination that would have caused him one headache after another, but it would have been a better fit for Sakura. His request had been denied.

“And her performance?” Itching to demand just where this line of questioning was going, Kakashi fought the urge to ask. Instead, he shrugged once more and looked at the ceiling.

“Nothing out of the ordinary. She'll make chuunin eventually and then most likely apply for reassignment.” He had long since given up hope that his generation of Team Seven would last where the others had broken apart or failed. Perhaps, it wasn't meant to last. Never had been. Seven was a number of broken hopes and dreams.

“She spent her internship period in the R&D department where she studied under a woman called Nodoka,” Orochimaru began and Kakashi almost didn't want to know where this was going. Between a jinchuuriki who was a constant reminder of the man who'd been his second father and the last Uchiha whose PTSD and trauma rivaled his own, he needed the girl to be the normal one. Except it seemed more and more like she was connected to a nightmare of her own.

“A week ago, the woman went missing. She left no trace and after a thorough investigation, it was revealed that her name and identity were both fabricated. She spent quite a bit of time and effort on Haruno, even once the internship had passed.” Rifling through his memories, Kakashi did recall a tall woman his age with dark hair, thoroughly unremarkable, who had occasionally exchanged a few words with Sakura in the streets. He hadn't thought much of it then, even a girl as solitary and distanced as Sakura was bound to have the odd acquaintance she got along with.

“Her profile fits the unnamed woman we have suspected to be an accomplice or partner of Tsunade.” Within an instant, he shut down. His blood ran cold as his heartbeat slowed down and he tried to remain calm. This wasn't news to Orochimaru, neither was it a surprise to the Sandaime and neither had ever elected to tell him.

“I have kept an eye on your student, Hatake. She's smart. Intuitive. She has a natural handle on my line of work and I planned to have her moved to R&D permanently after her promotion. The first time I saw her, I remember that she reminded me of Tsunade.” Kakashi clenched his jaw to keep a vicious curse from making its way past his lips. That girl was his, no matter how difficult, no matter how little they got along.

“You're telling me that there's been a spy who vetted my student to be a worthy addition to a necromancer and her merry band of walking corpses, and groomed her, and yet you never even thought of letting me know?” _His own damn student_.

“Perhaps that is why she is here. To extend an invitation. Training Ground 44 provides ample opportunity. As for the warning... to make us stay away lest we reap the consequences.” The more the sannin mused and explained his reasoning, the more furious Kakashi became. They'd kept him in the dark, interfered with his responsibility, _if he lost this girl without even having a chance to save her_ -

“The question is, Hatake, if offered a new teacher and a life outside the system, would Haruno accept?” His head snapped towards Orochimaru, the snake-faced ice-cold bastard, and Kakashi could barely keep the snarl inside. He thought about Sakura, the bonds she lacked even to her own family, how she kept the company of her summons and no one else, how she _detested_ him and the boys, itched to get promoted _just to get away_ -

“Yes,” he growled.

“She would.” Because he knew this, better than anyone else. That girl held no loyalty to her village in her heart, no loyalty to anyone but those who had met her on her own grounds, those who hadn't allowed her to pretend to be average when she wasn't. Kakashi had failed her by trying to respect her wishes. The rats hadn't. Tsunade's spy... hadn't.

“Then you'd better get to her before Tsunade does.” The sannin could barely finish his words before Kakashi had shot off, leaving behind little more than a few leaves, racing against time and the fallen princess of Konoha.

“It's this way.”

“Idiot. That's where we came from!”

“No way! It's this way, I know it!”

Sakura's left eye twitched as the volume of their stupid argument increased. They'd been at this for the past hour, going back and forth, not listening to her. Ata had told her where to go. Sakura knew the way. But those two dimwits were too engrossed in their petty squabbles to even acknowledge her existence. If only she were stronger she'd ditch them and complete the damn exam on her own.

“Boys loud. Boys stupid,” Ata chirped from the inside of her hood that she had drawn up so it covered her bright pink hair. Not that it mattered much considering one third of their team dressed in glaring neon orange. Still. If she was lucky, the enemy teams would spot and go for him first.

“Sak should go. Boys won't notice.” She sighed and let her head fall backwards against the tree stump she was leaning on. Ata was right in that regard. The boys definitely wouldn't notice. And what wouldn't she give for some peace and quiet.

“I can't. If I get ambushed I'm going to die,” Sakura murmured quietly, not sure why she even bothered lowering her voice. Red-faced and screaming, the two banes of her existence had eyes and ears only for each other. Sakura didn't dare think about just who they alerted to their position. Perhaps leaving them would be the safer choice after all?

“Ata good nose. Ata keep Sak safe.” She paused and tilted her head to squint at the rat lingering just on the edge of her vision. The dim light of the forest enhanced the green shimmer of his fur, making him gleam like a particularly colourful bird. He'd been by her side for years. He, and the swarm that had accepted, then welcomed her. Ever since Sakura had never been cold at night again.

“You sure?” she asked, just once, to be certain. Ata sniffed and nodded his head rapidly, his beady black eyes reflecting her own jade ones. She needed to pass. Every second that went by drastically reduced her chances of coming out of these exams with a promotion. Shooting the boys one last glance, Sakura gingerly got to her feet and stared at the sky.

“Sak go left,” Ata said so Sakura turned away from her teammates, stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jacket, and went left.

Kakashi tore through the forest, jumped from tree to tree without watching his surroundings. His heartbeat thrummed in his ears and the only sound he heard was the rattle of his lung. He was on borrowed time, knew the fallen sannin had a headstart on him, and only heavens knew what safety measures she had prepared to make sure her recruitment went as smoothly as possible.

Recruitment. The world alone brought a snarl to his lips. Sakura was his student and he was responsible for her. And yet, right under his nose, she had been manipulated by a woman who had been so unashamed, so brazen to do it right in front of him. The more he thought about it, the more he remembered her. His eyes had always slid over the woman who was tall and dark, a mixture of whites and blacks, a mere background element.

He should have been more suspicious. _Why_ had he not been more suspicious? Nobody was so thoroughly average, so uninteresting, so bland that they faded into nothingness and oblivion so easily. That alone should have made every single alarm in Kakashi's head ring. But it hadn't. _She_ hadn't.

With a growl, he pushed himself harder and harder as he followed Pakkun who had a scrap of orange cloth in between his teeth. He had nothing of Sasuke or Sakura but the frequent damages to Naruto's outfit had left him with the odd path of orange that he had pocketed, just in case.

“Not far, boss,” Pakkun grumbled and Kakashi felt his heartbeat speed up. If he found Naruto, he would find Sakura. Despite her reluctance to stick close to her team, that girl would not be reckless enough to attempt to wander the forest on her own. He'd never been more thankful for her sensible and passive nature.

Until he broke through the clearing and found two boys, one bright, one dark, and both missing their female teammate.

“Kaka-sensei! Did something happen to Sakura? She's gone and we're trying to find her-” He didn't need more than that.

“Stay put!” he barked at the blonde before giving a sharp whistle and summoning the rest of his pack.

“Go!” Kakashi bellowed and shot after the group of hounds that sprinted East. He tried not to give in to the budding panic, told himself to get his act together. Sakura was gone but the boys were fine and unharmed. There had been no confrontation and if they had run into Tsunade, Naruto's response would have been different. There was still a chance she hadn't found Sakura. There was still a chance to save her.

“There's a trail. Just one signature. She's alone.” Hope bloomed in his chest and spurred him into action. Going as fast as his body allowed him, Kakashi became a shadow that flew through the forest. Soon enough he picked up her scent himself, a familiar mixture of the citrus shampoo she used, the sharp clean fragrance of her laundry detergent and a distinct note of rat.

She hadn't gone far, but the lack of other scents in the area as well as the fact that she was moving _away_ from the tower only unsettled Kakashi further. Could she... know? No. Impossible. There was no way Tsunade or her spy had managed to get the girl to come to them as opposed to looking for her. How would she have known? Kakashi forced himself to stop entertaining this train of thought because the mere possibility of him having missed this too would be too much to bear.

“Boss, there's-” That was as far as Pakkun got before, out of nowhere, a large bat swooped down on him, sank its teeth into his neck and plucked him off the ground only to disappear into the sky. All hell broke loose.

Countless bats swarmed Kakashi and his pack. The large ones went for his dogs, danced out of their reach when they attempted to snap at them, then surrounded and picked them off one by one. Kakashi himself was blinded. Wings obscured his vision and high pitched screams threw him off balance, sending him careening into a tree.

“You are not to interfere.” The voice of a woman, bright and clear, and so very dead inside, rang out from somewhere behind him. Kakashi shrugged off the pain, shook his head to rid himself of the remaining disorientation, then turned around. His hounds were gone, he couldn't feel them anymore and knew they had returned to the summons realm. The bats remained, sitting on branches high above him, some fluttering around the woman's head. A woman that he, at last, _remembered_.

“She is not yours,” he growled at short dark hair that swayed gently in the breeze, large black eyes that gazed upon him with an utter calm that was so foreign to him, and a face so empty and blank he itched to twitch. She was clad in simple dark trousers and a shirt that was covered by a thin strip of leather across her chest. Kakashi's attention moved to the identical knives she casually held in her hands, sharp and entirely unique.

“She will be,” the woman retorted and the way she didn't move, didn't even seem to breathe felt so utterly wrong Kakashi almost recoiled. Not a corpse, not one of the raised he had encountered only once, but something worse.

“Never,” he snarled and with a kunai in one hand, chidori in the other, Kakashi charged.

“Sak close. Sak careful. Big cats.” Big cats, indeed. She's stumbled upon a group of those overgrown tigers and nearly gotten herself eaten if it weren't for Ata's quick intervention. He'd told her to cross the river instead of climbing up the tree as she'd planned. The tigers could climb but not swim. The entire journey was more nerve-wracking than she likes, but then these were the chuunin exams. If they were that easy, there would be no genin corps.

Slowing her step and regulating her breathing, Sakura carefully made her way through the undergrowth, mindful of the tigers not that far from her. Ata's squeaks came often and quiet as to not attract their attention. This time, there was no nearby river to save her. After a few minutes of wandering, Ata let her know that the cats were out of reach.

With a sigh, Sakura stretched her limbs and let out a single yawn. The light was already fading. She had an hour at most to find shelter and something to eat. Not that Sakura worried about the latter. The swarm was beyond helpful in that regard. A small handful of rats were enough to find berries, fruits, or whatever else was edible in the area.

“Sak no sleep yet. Sak move.” Sakura frowned at Ata as another yawn escaped her throat. Rubbing the moisture out of her eyes, she sat down on a somewhat even slab of rock.

“I'm tired. I still need to find a scroll anyway. You do remember that, right? I don't want to go back to those idiots...” she trailed off and leaned back, closing her eyes. She was just about to doze off for a little, relishing in the quiet, when Ata climbed out of his nest, crawled down her arm and nipped at her finger.

“What the hell was that for?” Sakura demanded, sucking on her finger and only barely resisting the urge to shake Ata off. The rat stood on its hind legs and positively _frowned_ at her.

“Sak no sleep. Sak move. Important.” Feeling her own anger rise, Sakura glowered at her summon and drew her knees closer to her chest, as if to signal that she was not going to move, no matter what that rat wanted.

“I have five days in this forest so unless there's a scroll over there, I have enough time to-” She didn't get much further than that. Pure instinct made her duck her head just in time to avoid having her head taken off by a massive, sharp-clawed paw. Sakura shrieked in surprise and jumped forwards, scrambling away from the huge tiger that had snuck up on her.

“You could have told me I was going to have to run from a damn tiger!” Sakura yelled as she bent down to pick up Ata before breaking into a sprint. The heavy thump behind her meant the tiger gave chase. Shit.

“Ata told Sak move!” the rat protested before climbing up her arm and into her hood, seeking the safety of his improvised nest.

“YOU DIDN'T MENTION THE TIGER!” Zig-zagging through the forest, Sakura ran for her life. One set of thumps was joined by another, soon a third as the number of cats coming after her tripled. Her lungs burned as did her legs, but Sakura kept running as fast as she could. She refused to die in a gloomy forest during her own chuunin exams!

“Right! Sak go right!” Ata squeaked into her ear and while she really wanted to do the opposite, simply because he had failed to inform her of those _damn cursed cats_ , she followed his advice nevertheless. Only to think that she really shouldn't have.

Stumbling through the tree line, she found herself in a clearing. Nothing but grass and roots marked the landscape in front of her. There was no way to hide. Nowhere to flee. Sakura's eyes went wide upon hearing a fierce snarl behind her and she turned around just in time to see one of the tigers lunge at her-

_And be intercepted by an entire tree._

“What-” Sakura yelped and ducked on instinct when the tree collided with the tiger, sending it flying while also blocking off the path for the remaining two cats.

“Having fun?” Sakura whirled around, coming face to face with something she really hadn't expected. A cloaked woman, whose face was obscured with only a few blonde strands spilling from the hood covering her head stood in the middle of the clearing, flanked by a group of five nondescript shinobi. They looked a bit odd but Sakura ignored them in favour of scrutinising the stranger that had appeared out of nowhere. And, apparently, launched an entire tree at a group of tigers.

“No,” Sakura replied and took a step backwards. Odd strangers in dark forests were a combination straight out of those cautionary tales her mother had told her at night before bed. These days, Sakura knew better than to listen to her mother but the memories remained.

“It's always the forest. You'd think that they would eventually come up with something new,” the woman muttered disdainfully, kicking a piece of bark that rested in front of her feet. The shinobi didn't speak up or move. They stared straight ahead with their glassy eyes, slightly swaying from left to right. The sheer _wrongness_ of them caused a shiver to run down Sakura's spine.

“Who are you?” she asked warily, hands close to her weapon pouch. She doubted she could do much other than die quickly, were this stranger to engage her. It didn't mean Sakura would go down without putting up a fight. Ata, on her shoulder, remained uncharacteristically quiet. The woman tilted her head to the side, casually inspecting Sakura, before she replied.

“Tsunade.” Sakura's entire body turned to ice. Her heart skipped a beat as she held her breath. Tsunade. Tsunade of the sannin, disgraced and removed from history books, chased out of the village, S-Rank missing-nin.

“Heard of me, have you. And here I thought Sarutobi issued one of those gag orders he's so fond of.” Her voice was dry but casual, husky and low, and yet Sakura took a step backwards, nervously licking her lips. She wasn't supposed to know and the only reason she did, had been her pestering Nodoka-san one too many times. The woman had refused to share details, citing the very gag order the blonde had just mentioned. Still, she had given her a name. And that name had been Tsunade.

“Are you going to kill me?” A stupid question and Sakura cursed herself for giving the woman _ideas_ but what else was there to ask? She hardly would share her reasons for being here, were Sakura to ask. If anything, it was a miracle she was still alive. For a reason she couldn't name, the missing-nin seemed almost amused if her snort was anything to go by.

“Not what I came here for,” she answered and shifted slightly. A few blonde strands joined the ones that were already visible and for a single second, Sakura could spot a hint of red lips before the woman's face was once more swallowed by the unnatural shadow that hid it from sight.

“Tell me, do you like Konoha?” Sakura blinked twice. Stared. Opened her mouth, then shut it with an audible snap.

“Sak answer,” Ata squeaked from her shoulder, causing her to flinch violently. She squinted at her summon, then at the woman, lips pressed into a thin line. Something about this whole situation was off and she didn't like it. Still. When faced with a legendary criminal, it was probably best to play along lest they changed their mind and killed her after all.

“I don't care for it. My team is unbearable. My teacher is useless. I only want to be promoted so I can work in the labs and be on my own.” It wasn't hard, to be honest about her issues with the place she'd been born in. She wasn't attached to it for the sake of village loyalty. Why should she be? All Sakura was interested in was to be around others like her, people like Nodoka-san who were quiet and intelligent, who didn't care about her civilian origins and only paid attention to what she _could_ be instead of what she _was_.

“No loyalty to your parents? The system that allowed you to take this path in the first place? Other villages aren't nearly this accepting of civilians who are not part of the genin corps.” Deciding to ignore the voice that told her how ridiculous this entire situation was, Sakura wrinkled her nose and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“My parents want me to marry and settle down when I'm older. They never thought I could be more than that. And nobody cared if I was smart or not because I'm just a civilian who doesn't perform well in combat. They put me on a team that specialises in frontline assault because they don't care about what I want or where I would do well.” Sakura didn't even have to fake the bitterness that crept into her voice. She had spent hours, days, countless nights brooding over these issues. She had years to come to terms with her situation but had never quite managed to get over it. And she'd certainly never forgotten.

“And where would you do well?” Sakura squinted at the woman, her odd entourage, and watched the way the cloak that covered her from head to toe, swayed in the breeze. Ata offered no advice. So she decided to be honest, for once.

“A lab. A research center. A place where I can learn and study without being held back or judged or made fun of. I _know_ I can be more than this. I _want_ to be more than this.” She had no idea why she bared her soul to this stranger, why she even entertained her odd questions instead of begging for her life or trying to run for the hills. Perhaps it was because she was tired. Maybe it was the knowledge that none of her words would ever make it back to those who shouldn't hear them. Or even the overwhelming urge to stop pretending, if only for a moment.

Or, possibly, the knowledge that this woman was scorned and different and free and that Sakura wished, just a little, that she could be just like her.

“What do you know of me? Other than my name.” Sakura swallowed audibly, looked between the stranger and the shinobi, then shrugged.

“Nothing. There are no books in the library. They don't teach us about the Second Great War anymore. It's forbidden to talk about you,” she answered and felt herself unwind a little. She hadn't killed her yet and the more time passed, the less Sakura feared she would. She didn't trust her. Not like that. But still. Why waste time chatting to a genin if the plan was to murder them afterward? Someone who had eluded justice and stayed alive and hidden for more than two decades wouldn't be that careless.

“I used to be a medic. _The_ medic, actually. I invented more than half of the techniques they use at the hospital, revolutionised the field. I'm a prodigy.” Coming from anyone else that would have sounded arrogant enough to make Sakura snarl in distaste. But the dry delivery of the woman's words, the way she spoke as if she merely stated facts instead of gloating about her achievements, painted her answer in an entirely different light.

“I changed my focus since then, but I'm still the highest authority in medical circles. Life and death, and everything that's in between, pose no secret to me. I have, in fact, conquered both.” A pale arm parted the cloth of her cloak and casually gestured towards the shinobi surrounding the woman. This time, Sakura looked closer. Their skin was white with an almost grey-ish hue to it and they looked thin, almost bony. The more Sakura stared, the more she became aware of the lack of chest movement, the not-quite metaphorical deadness of her faces, their eyes which were glazed over and shimmered in a barely visible cyan. Her brain stuttered and stopped as her lips parted in a silent gasp and morbid fascination took over. Surely not? That was...

“Are they _dead_?” she asked, both aghast and curious, unable to decide whether to feel horrified or captivated. Without quite noticing it, Sakura stepped closer and reached out, then stopped herself and withdrew her hand. Her eyes moved back to the blonde and she gasped quietly upon finding her fully uncovered face instead of the shadows.

She looked young, much younger than she should, with dark eyes, milky skin, a purple diamond on her forehead and crimson lips. She was beautiful, Sakura found herself thinking, and both cold and warm in a way she couldn't quite put into words. A face to match the legend and mystery surrounding her.

“Undead. They could function independently if I let them, but dead people tend to hold grudges against those who disturb their rest,” the woman said as if she was having a casual conversation over a cup of tea. Sakura couldn't stop staring. She was dimly aware of how idiotic she had to look, with her wide eyes and open mouth. Still, she couldn't fault herself for it. Or anyone else. Necromancy. Genuine, real, _necromancy_. Her mind was flooded by countless questions she wanted to ask, all of which rested on the tip of her tongue-

“I am here because my partner noticed your potential. She thinks you would make a good student. As you can see, I have a lot to teach.” Sakura's breath caught in her throat. Her head whipped around. The woman seemed serious. She- But why-

“Konoha was willing to let my talent go to waste. I am not quite as ignorant. Personal morals matter little to me, and if you wish to become truly exceptional, I am the only one who can get you there.” Time stopped as the world stilled and Sakura found herself caught in honey eyes, the woman's words echoing in her head. The desire to accept, immediately and without question, nearly overwhelmed her, the promise of a teacher, of the secrets she could teach her, of a life where she would never be held back by anyone or anything ever again-

“Konoha bad but Sak good human. Tsu dangerous. Criminal. Why Sak?” She had forgotten that Ata was still there, sitting on her shoulder. His squeaked words tore her from her haze and with a single shake of her head, Sakura cleared her thoughts. If the woman was offended by Ata's question, she didn't show it. Instead, she raised a single brow and replied:

“Rats are smart. You tell me.” Ata stilled, looked at Sakura, then back at the blonde.

“Sak knows Sak smart. But Sak prodigy. Like bat lady. Like you. Knowledge and talent mean power. Power mean security. Tsu free and safe and Sak can make Tsu's family even stronger.” Sakura recoiled at Ata's words. He'd called her a prodigy. She had never doubted herself or her potential but a prodigy? How did he even come to that conclusion?

“And snake man want Sak also. Tsu want Sak on her side, not snake man's. Sak and snake could be danger to Tsu. So Tsu come here before snake can get Sak.” Sakura stared at her summon as if she had never met him before. Half of what he said was complete news to Sakura. She hadn't even known that she had caught Orochimaru's attention. Had he been watching her? And how did Ata know all this?

“Ata talk to bats. Bats bastards but honest. Tsu genuine. Tsu will teach Sak. Sak will be glorious.” That was directed at her. Her green eyes met Ata's black ones, and the rat gave a single nod.

“Tsu better option. Trust Ata. Trust swarm. Sak go with Tsu.” Her mind still hadn't quite caught up with what was happening. She was just about to open her mouth and demand some answers when a sudden noise from behind interrupted her. Like the chirping of a thousand birds, a sound that traveled right to her very core, a sound that was oddly familiar...

“Make your decision. This is the only chance you will get,” the woman's voice rang out across the clearing. The sound came closer and so Sakura turned her head only to be faced with a bright flash that approached rapidly, chasing a moving... shadow? The shadow blurred and split into countless tiny fragments that zoomed past Sakura. She heard the flutter of wings, felt leather on her skin, and absent-mindedly recognised them as bats.

“Enjoyed yourself?” Next to the blonde, stood another woman that had not been there a second ago. She was taller and thinner with dark hair and eyes and Sakura knew her-

“I disengaged. Orochimaru has entered the forest,” the new arrival replied, and the voice matched her appearance, and Sakura could hardly believe her eyes because _what were the odds_ -

“Time to go, kid. I'm not dressed for war.” The blonde extended an arm, offered her hand with her palm pointing at the sky. The chirping closed in on Sakura whose eyes went back and forth between the legendary missing-nin Tsunade and her companion, a woman Sakura had known as Nodoka for years.

“N- Nodoka-san-” she began, only for Nodoka-san to interrupt her and say:

“Shizune.” She stilled as if considering something, then added:

“It would be wise to accept the offer. I can attest to Tsunade being an excellent teacher.” Sakura thought of the knowledge Nodo- Shizune had shared with her, how she had instructed her, the vast amount of facts and details the woman knew, how she had always been able to answer every single question Sakura asked, no matter how obscure-

She felt as if an outside force propelled her, moved her legs towards the contrasting duo, but deep down Sakura was fully aware that the decision was entirely her own. Here it was, the opportunity she had waited for all her life. Knowledge, power, freedom, _greatness_. All offered to her on a silver platter.

For years, she had told herself: One day. And finally, at last, that day had come.

Kakashi arrived in the clearing, hurt and injured by countless stab wounds that had been meant to hamper and slow him down, just in time to watch Sakura place her hand on top of Tsunade's and, along with the other two women, burst into a shower of countless little cyan moths that fluttered away, disappearing into the night sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Ata absolutely led Sakura towards Tsunade. Rats are smart. He knows what's best for her.
> 
> Also not sure if I want to tackle the Origin set next or something else. Well. I'll decide eventually. Hope you enjoyed.


	7. Tsunade and Sakura: Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really felt this one in my soul. It snowed where I live for the first time in years and it really set the mood.

“You cold, kid?” Sakura's head shot up at the gruff voice suddenly coming from her left. She was huddled in front of a fire, arms slung around her middle, almost buried in the cloak Tsunade had lent her an hour ago. Arms crossed in front of her chest, the blonde stood like a statue, unmoved by the biting cold surrounding them.

“No,” she murmured, lying through her chattering teeth, fully aware she hadn't fooled the woman for even a second. Still... despite Ata's silent confidence and the fact that Sakura was still alive and hadn't been turned into one of the necromancer's thralls yet she didn't quite trust her. Not yet, at least.

“Shizune told me you're a pathological liar. I get that you did what you had to do but that shit doesn't fly with me. You lie, you're out.” Tsunade's tone allowed no room for argument so after glowering at her for a few moments, Sakura clenched her jaw and nodded. She had officially deserted from Konoha a mere week ago. They wouldn't take her back; not when they never really wanted her in the first place. This was what she had chosen, for better or worse.

“And if you're cold now you're going to hate once we actually cross the border.” Great. Growling under her breath, Sakura returned to staring into the fire, shuffling closer until she was just about to set the cloak aflame. Following the flight from the Forest of Death, they had traveled non-stop until they left Fire country.

Sakura hadn't spoken much, preferred to watch the two new women in her life interact with each other. Not that they did so a lot. Both were quiet and eerie, No- Shizune more so than Tsunade. In fact, now that Sakura had met Shizune without the guise of Nodoka-san, she had scrapped everything she ever thought she knew about the woman.

Whereas Nodoka-san was quiet but thoughtful, a little cold yet still approachable and open, Shizune was neither of those. She was a bit like a mirror, Sakura thought, cold, empty, showing little more than a reflection of whoever looked at it. She had always considered herself a blank slate. Now she knew better. The act Sakura had put on for years was nothing in comparison to the masterful way Shizune had transformed herself.

That discovery had soured Sakura's initial elation at finally being free. Before Ata she'd never had any friends but she did have Nodoka-san, no matter how limited their interactions. Finding out that all of that had been fake had killed any and all desire to ask her questions, tempered her joy. At least, Sakura thought, Shizune wasn't mean.

“The girl's sure taking her time,” Tsunade muttered before sitting down on a nearby rock, stretching her limbs and looking at the sky. The blonde, the so-called monster, the necromancer – and Sakura still had trouble wrapping her head around _that_ – was much more human than Shizune in her general bearing and the way she expressed herself.

Yet despite that, something... Sakura couldn't quite name enveloped her, clung to her skin like a thin layer of something she couldn't put her finger on. When Tsunade didn't move, didn't speak, didn't blink it almost seemed like she stopped breathing and the world stilled around her. In those moments she was more like the corpses she commanded than was comfortable for Sakura.

“Done staring at me?” She was blunt, too. The blonde had two ways of being, two contrasting selves and flipped the switch from one moment to the next with little warning. Sakura wondered how Shizune dealt with it. How those two worked together at all. If their relationship was cold and detached and Sakura had willingly entered herself into a desolate, barren wasteland-

“Already regretting your decision, huh. Well kid, it's too late now. Konoha won't take you back.” Harsh words that had Sakura shrink a little further into herself no matter how true they were.

“At least not alive.” Yeah. She had figured. With a quiet sigh, Sakura shifted, brought her toes closer to the warm fire. She had to get her shit together. It wasn't like she had left anyone, or anything, behind when she left. She'd been lonely in Konoha too, fuelled by disdain and anger at those around her. Even if this new reality of hers would be no different, at least with those two Sakura had someone to teach her. Someone to make her great. And great people had no need for friends.

“Where are we going?” she asked, speaking up for the first time ever since they'd settled in this small cave close to the border of Kumo. While Konoha and Kumo weren't allied, the necromancer had no allies in this world and according to Tsunade the money on her head was enough to spur even Konoha's enemies into action. That, at least, Sakura could believe.

“Frost.” A visible shudder ran through Sakura's body. Frost. The northernmost country of the nations, sitting above Kumo with icy shores and frozen wastes that made half the country utterly inhabitable. Even though she had never seen snow or ice before, neither of which were natural occurrences in Fire country, she could confidently claim that she didn't _want_ to.

“Why Frost?” Sakura demanded miserably, already feeling like an icicle. She hadn't exactly planned on defecting from Konoha in the middle of her chuunin exams. As such, her simple dress was all she had. Tsunade had been courteous enough to surrender her cloak but even that did little to stave off the cold. Which was why they were currently waiting for Shizune to return from wherever she went to grab Sakura appropriate travel garb and organise some provisions for the three of them.

“Because nobody lives there willingly. It's not where they'd expect me to go.” That actually made sense, no matter how much Sakura wished it didn't.

“You'll get used to the cold. I'll show you how to keep yourself warm. Can't believe they didn't teach you that already.” Sakura snorted, flexing her fingers before moving them closer to her body. Ata, who had long since taken refuge inside her dress was kind enough to wrap himself around them, sharing his body heat.

“They didn't teach me anything,” she muttered darkly, vividly recalling the training sessions Sasuke had received in preparation for the exams while Naruto had been off, doing whatever it was that boy did when nobody paid attention. And Sakura... Sakura had been left behind. Because she was the spare.

“Water walking?” Sakura shook her head, staring into the fire.

“Figured it out myself.” After which she'd gone back to her own musings, disregarding the idiots and the teacher in name only she'd been stuck with. She wondered if they had mastered it by now. Without her, they had to have withdrawn from the exams. A small part of Sakura couldn't help but wonder if they were training harder now if only to get strong enough to eventually hunt her down. Shooting the blonde a single glance, Sakura asked herself if the woman was a glimpse into her own future. If two of the sannin had hunted for the third. If they would again.

“Other techniques? Taijutsu? Your affinity? Genjutsu, perhaps?” With a frown, Sakura looked at Tsunade who still had her face turned towards the sky without shivering despite the cold. There wasn't even a hint of goosebumps on the bare skin of her arms.

“I thought Shizune told you all about me,” Sakura replied. Wasn't that why she had come in the first place? Because Shizune had found Sakura worthy of investment? The blonde finally tiled her head, a single eye lazily finding Sakura's flushed face.

“Not the specifics. Shizune was a spy. Keeping track of Konoha's inner workings is a tad more important than paying attention to the daily woes of a would-be genius.” Sakura bristled and bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from snapping back. This woman could end her within a single heartbeat. She couldn't afford to test her limits.

“Fuck, why can't a single one of you be easy.” With a huff, Sakura crossed her arms in front of her chest and resolutely turned her head away. If this was going to be just a repeat of her first teacher that never even tried to-

“Stop brooding. It's tiresome.” Ata nipping at her finger caused Sakura's mouth to snap shut before any of the words she'd been planning to say could escape it. For years, almost her entire life, she had managed to stay silent no matter how hard or how long. It seemed like the simple act of leaving the village, breaking out of her prison, had robbed her of all the fake meekness that had gotten her through life.

“We'll figure out what to do with you. Civilian background, no kekkei genkai. Not enough chakra to go into ninjutsu or genjutsu which is fine. I'm no good with either.” Sakura paused at that, returning her attention to the blonde.

“You took me to teach me but you don't even know _what_ to teach me?” Surely not. Why would a notorious missing-nin collect a simple genin if they didn't even have any proper plans concerning said genin's education?

“You're getting the full science background. Biology, chemistry, medicine, anything short of actual necromancy.” Tsunade paused, casting Sakura a single assessing look.

“Doesn't suit you,” the woman stated and while Sakura wanted to argue because how would she know what suited Sakura and what didn't, the blonde continued to speak.

“But, you're still a genin. You need the basics. Shizune's out most of the time and I get around. You need to be able to defend yourself. Being a brilliant scientist means little in the face of a hunter-nin squad coming for your head.” She hadn't thought of that. All at once Sakura realised that she had no idea what either woman she had bound herself to actually _did_. What was life like as a missing-nin? What was her life going to be like?

“I used to be a taijutsu specialist. Used my chakra control to amplify my strength. Maybe in a different time and place, I could see you following in my footsteps,” Tsunade mused as if Sakura wasn't truly there, eyes looking back into a past Sakura wasn't privy to.

“Not my style anymore. Don't have the right temper for it any longer. Neither do you. So we'll just have to come up with something else.” And that was that. Silence fell over them as both waited for Shizune to return. Which she did, eventually. With her, she brought a warm jacket and a set of spare clothes that were fully insulated – and Sakura's size. She chose not to ask where she had gotten them from. Dinner was an assortment of snacks that she greedily devoured before getting to her feet and moving on.

They spent the night in a tiny inn somewhere in the middle of nowhere. The owner seemed to have at least passing familiarity with Tsunade since the old woman nodded at the blonde before waving them all up the stairs. Sakura slept uneasily but well enough to not fall behind the next day as she had during the first three. She wasn't used to traveling while the other two clearly were.

The conversation she had with Tsunade remained the only one of its kind. When they walked, it was in silence. Sakura didn't want to admit it to herself but felt too intimidated to speak up and neither Tsunade nor Shizune were talkative to begin with. So as the temperatures dropped and they made their way further and further north, Sakura remained as clueless concerning her new companions as she was before.

It wasn't all terrible though. When she slipped, Shizune caught her before she could fall, not even a blur, too fast for Sakura's eyes to comprehend. When the nights turned especially cold, Tsunade never failed to offer her cloak. And when Sakura was too tired to continue walking, the former sannin briefly brushed her fingertips against Sakura's temples, sharing a small fragment of her immense chakra reserves, filling her veins with energy. Despite the lack of talking, the general uncertainty regarding her future and general misery that was traveling first to, then through Frost, Sakura could safely say that she felt more at home than she ever had with her team. And wasn't that just tragic. She decided not to dwell on that.

After exactly ten days, Sakura woke to white. She felt unusually sluggish, couldn't make sense of her surroundings. Bit by bit she rose to the surface of her awareness until she realised that she was moving, warm and surrounded by a strong smell of fresh mint, frost and something sweet and heavy, perhaps... nightshade?

“Finally woke up, did you?” Sakura jerked fully awake and almost lost her balance. A strong pair of hands held onto her arms, keeping her in place. It was then that she realised that she was being carried on Tsunade's back as the woman raced through icy wastes, Shizune nowhere in sight. Sakura instinctively shivered before rubbing her eyes.

“What's happening?” she asked, sleep still lacing her voice. She blinked twice in rapid succession only to notice that the white was not her vision being blinded. It was _permanent_.

“Snow...” she breathed, eyes now wide open, taking in the pristine layer of snow that made up the entirety of her surroundings. Even though the world was blurry due to the speed with which the woman ran, Sakura could still make out frozen trees, wide snowy wastes and the dark sky from which countless snowflakes poured at a steady, neverending pace.

“First time?” The blonde sounded almost amused but Sakura was too mesmerised to notice. She had never seen snow before. Never. And it was _beautiful_.

“Some Kumo hunters showed up at night. They carried one of Konoha's red scrolls. Three kill commands.” That dragged Sakura from her haze. She froze, breath still, heart even stiller. It wasn't like she had expected to have her defection be tolerated by the village. Sakura had been fully aware that by leaving she marked herself as an enemy. But a kill command? This... soon?

“Sarutobi doesn't pull his punches. Not anymore.” That sounded awfully personal and Sakura shivered at the dark note that had crept into Tsunade's voice. She automatically clung just a little harder to the woman, not that she noticed.

“Shizune's taking care of them. She's faster than me but will probably wait for a few hours to take care of possible stragglers. She'll catch up with us soon enough.” Sakura had no answer to that so she remained silent, lost in her own thoughts. She hadn't truly thought about her decision back then, had listened to Ata and Shizune, then went with her gut. She hadn't _really_ thought about the consequences.

“Are you not worried about her?” she asked, voice awfully small, and hated it.

“Shizune? No. She's good. The best.” The last two words were uttered with a subtle chuckle as if the woman recalled something particularly funny that she didn't feel like explaining to Sakura.

“We ended up with one another because she needed a teacher and I... owed someone. So I took her in, taught her... more about life and how to be a person than how to fight. I honestly can't tell you why she stayed once I ran out of things to teach. But it is what it is. We're our own dysfunctional little family.” For the first time since they'd met there was a warmth to this simultaneously natural and eerie woman, this combination of vibrant life and personality and sinister, dead stillness. Sakura couldn't quite put into words why, but it suited her. More than it would anyone else. It was just as unique as the woman herself.

“She's the only person I trust with my life. So I know she will be alright.” Tsunade fell silent and Sakura felt that she held her whole attention despite the blonde never facing away from what laid in front of her.

“That, I think, is the first lesson you need to learn. How to have faith in someone else.” Sakura scowled and as if aware of her reaction, Tsunade immediately spoke up once more:

“There's more to this than me showing you all those little tricks you're so interested in. As of right now, there are only a few people in this world that don't want me dead. I can list them on one hand. You willingly signed up to be my student. That means that the same people that hunt me, also hunt you.” Sakura's throat dried as if she only now understood the full weight of a decision she had made in the head of the moment, drawn in by promises of power, knowledge and greatness.

“We're strangers and I don't know you. I don't trust you just as you don't trust me. You don't trust anyone but your summons and I'd be a hypocrite if I condemned you for that.” It almost sounded like there'd been a time where the blonde had been just like Sakura. Alone with no one to rely on but those she had bound her soul to. If she actually knew what she was talking about. Sakura didn't know how to feel kindship to another, how to relate. And yet...

“But your summons is no longer enough. This is the rest of your life, Sakura. You, me, and Shizune against everyone else.” Tsunade paused as she gradually slowed down, falling out of her sprint into a steady jog. They had left the frozen wastelands behind and reached a dead snowy forest just as the light began to fade. Sakura let the woman ease her back onto the ground when her own stiff limbs failed her only to get caught in her honey eyes that held a spark of cyan in them. A spark, Sakura strongly suspected, was permanent.

“And if you want to survive it you will need to learn how to have faith.” She held her gaze for a few heartbeats until the blonde averted her face to look left where, Sakura now realised, stood a shadowy silhouette she had failed to notice earlier.

“Nobody followed us,” Shizune declared softly as she stepped out of the shadows, three bats circling her head as she talked.

“Alright. Time to go home,” Tsunade replied and began to march through the thick snow that parted for her almost as if it had its own will. Chakra manipulation, Sakura thought, as she took the same path the blonde cleared. Shizune, to her right, walked on top of the white layer with featherlight steps.

“Did you kill them?” Sakura wasn't sure why she asked, why it even mattered. Shizune's dark eyes found hers and the absence of an actual answer told her all she needed to know. Well. It didn't matter. It really didn't. It _shouldn't_.

“Death is your friend now, kid. Get used to it.” Get used to it. Sakura released a long, drawn-out breath and tilted her head backwards. Snow fell on her face and melted instantly while white puffs of air rose from her parted lips, drifting into the rapidly darkening sky. Get used to it. She should. She had to. _Get used to it_.

“I can't cook for shit and Shizune doesn't understand the concept of seasoning. You any good in the kitchen?” Somewhat disoriented by the rapid change in subject, Sakura took a few moments to reply.

“My mother insisted I learn.” Because becoming a good future wife and mother had always been more important than Sakura's own wishes.

“Good. That's your job then. I'll show you your room and you'll get a few hours of proper sleep. Breakfast is no earlier than seven. I'm too old to get up before the sun's out,” the blonde grumbled and then, suddenly, as Sakura took another step forward, she felt as if she were passing through an invisible barrier of sorts. Energy washed over her, chakra that felt both familiar and not, like the dark and silent things of this world, purple, cyan, old and positively... _wrong_. It made her skin crawl and while Sakura hoped she would never have to experience it again, craved it all the same.

“Remind me to key you into the barrier tomorrow. Other than that, the housekeeper will show you to your room. Don't try to make conversation. The dead aren't very good at it.” The what? Questions on the tip of her tongue, Sakura forgot all about them when the forest cleared and she first laid eyes on the place that would be her new residence. It was old and creaky, was her first thought. It looked run-down but in an utterly enchanting manner. There was something noble about the building that seemed to be a long abandoned manor that hadn't seen proper care in over a decade.

Ice clung to its outsides and it was mostly covered in snow with paint that had long since chipped away, bits and pieces of rock that had broken away from the foundation and a roof that didn't necessarily inspire confidence in its stability. And yet it somehow made it work. For a reason Sakura couldn't name, it managed to look stately and borderline magical, like something out of a fairytale rather than a horror story.

“It's part of the facade. Keeps the village kids away. They think I eat children. Idiots,” Tsunade snorted in amusement as she opened the door by pressing her flat palm onto the wood. It swung open with an audible creak, revealing warm insides whose orange glow painted a stark contrast to the cold blues and whites of the outside world. Sakura shivered upon stepping inside only to be nearly smothered by the warmth that hit her right in the face.

“Bedroom's are on the third floor. First door to the right is mine. First on the left is Shizune's. Whichever one Hani picks is yours. She's been taking care of the manor even before she died. She knows what she's doing.” As if summoned, a positively ancient woman suddenly appeared to Sakura's right. She was clad in something only barely resembling a servant's uniform. Her hair was pinned up close to her head and that was where her... humanity ended. Her skin was pale and tinted in a dark grey that stretched across her bones like thin paper. Her eye sockets were empty, replaced by two glowing cyan orbs and yet she seemed oddly attentive. Even if the lack of chest movement was beyond disturbing to look at.

“You can inspect the groundskeeper tomorrow if you're curious. Not now. And not Hani. It took me too long to get her daily routine right for you to mess with her and screw it up.” Sakura nodded, eyes never leaving the clearly animated corpse, an actual _undead,_ and how had she not wrapped her head around that by now-

“Shoo. Go to sleep. Fuck, I need a drink...” With those parting words, the blonde disappeared into one of the side rooms. Shizune, Sakura found, was long gone. Left alone with the reanimated housekeeper, Hani, Sakura found it incredibly hard to resist temptation and take a closer look. Being still somewhat freaked out by the presence of a walking dead woman helped with that.

Without further prompting, Hani began walking up the stairs so Sakura followed her. The interior of the manor was all old and faded woods, expertly carved with lots of animal-oriented designs etched into oak and maple that were likely older than all three living occupants combined. Eventually, the undead stopped in front of a door, seemingly waiting for Sakura to enter. So she did.

Dark wood greeted her, dark with red accents that matched the dark green overall theme. Emerald curtains fluttered softly in a barely noticeable breeze and the bed, much larger than the one she'd had at home, was held in the same shade of green with covers a mere shade darker than the rest. There was no dust, not a single speck of dirt anywhere. Sakura ran her hand over the desk in front of the single window, feeling nothing but smooth and polished wood.

Everything looked and felt new, nothing at all like the building's exterior. So the former sannin had been serious then, about keeping it that way to deter curious civilians and children. The interior truly couldn't be more welcoming. Turning around only to find the door closed and Hani gone, Sakura rubbed her arms as she stood in the middle of the room, looking at nothing in particular.

This was it. Here she was, no way back. For better or worse, here she would stay... probably forever. Or not. Faced with how truly uncertain her future was, Sakura pressed her fists against her eyes to try and get her budding anxiety under control. There was no point in freaking out now. She waved away all rights to that when she had gone with them instead of refusing like a good, loyal soldier.

“Sak not worry. Sak where Sak meant to be.” She hadn't noticed Ata climbing out of her dress and onto her shoulder. Opening her eyes, she saw him in the corner of her vision, natural greenish tint of his fur enhanced by the colours surrounding him.

“Sak sleep. Tomorrow, Sak learn. And soon, Sak be home.” Home. Sakura sighed and dropped onto the bed, surprised at its softness. Home, Ata said. Konoha hadn't been it. She wasn't sure if even her parents had counted. Something had always been missing. Something had always felt off. How ridiculous to think that here she was, in the company of a necromancer and a killer, hoping to find what even her family and the place she'd grown up in had failed to deliver.

“You sure about that?” she asked nobody in particular. Perhaps the rat, perhaps herself. She didn't know if she expected an answer from either.

“Tsu like you. Shi like you. Lost. Together, no longer lost.” Sakura thought of how different Shizune was, how impossible it must have been for her to find acceptance when Sakura, who was nowhere near as odd as the dark-haired woman, had failed to become part of the machine that was normalcy.

“Together, home.” She remembered the darkness that simmered in Tsunades words whenever the topic of Konoha or the Hokage, her old teacher, came up. How she had seemed to understand trusting nobody but one's summons. How, at their very basis, the three of them didn't seem to be that different after all.

Sakura drifted off still dressed in her clothes, feet dangling off the edge of the bed, Ata curled up in the crook of her neck. Soon, she was asleep and her dreams were made of snow, ice, and two heartbeats that ran on the same rhythm as hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up either the origin set or that Tsunade-centric one.... I don't know. We'll see.


	8. Intermission - Kakashi: Failure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always hurt Kakashi in my fics. Always. Starting to feel kinda bad about it.

Another mission. Another hunting party. Another failure. Mud clung to his boots and the bottom half of his trousers as he dragged his feet through slick earth. He looked much like he felt: little more than a drowned rat. Rain poured from the heavens, had long since soaked his clothes and hair to the point where he wondered if he'd ever feel warm again.

“Hey... Kakashi-sensei?” He briefly closed his eyes and sighed quietly. For a few precious moments, he had reveled in the silence that had been so oppressive ever since they had begun their journey home.

“I'm not your teacher anymore,” he replied with the total lack of inflection that came second nature to him. Sometimes Kakashi appreciated the fact that he was so dead inside that even when his moods reached new lows, nobody could tell the difference.

“Okay okay, tai-chou,” Naruto hummed as if the word was still foreign to him. As if he hadn't been part of Kakashi's cell for a little under a year.

“What is it?” he asked, mentally counting the hours until he was back in his apartment, showered and clean so he could fall into bed and hopefully never wake up again. These days, it really seemed the best option all things considered.

“I was just thinking,” the boy began and Kakashi, who knew that this particular combination of words never bode well when coming from his favourite blonde knucklehead. The other presence to his right remained silent, not taking the obvious bait. After pausing for a moment, having expected a barbed remark much like Kakashi had, Naruto continued:

“I was just thinking that maybe... you know...” This pause was all hesitance. Unusual for the boy. Unusual enough to make Kakashi sharpen his ears.

“...maybe it's just time to give up.” Kakashi stopped. He didn't turn his head, didn't look at either of the two young men, boys, trailing behind him. He held his breath for a moment before closing his eyes and willing his budding temper down to the very pits of his stomach.

“Do you share his opinion, Sasuke?” The Uchiha didn't answer for exactly six heartbeats until his low, somber voice pierced the silence.

“She left three years ago. We were a team for less than six months. I think we spent too much time chasing after someone who is never going to come back willingly.” Ah. So that was how it was. Kakashi released a shaky breath and clenched his fists, trying to ignore the anger, the fury, the disappointment, the _betrayal_ -

“What was the first lesson I ever taught you?” He knew Naruto had already opened his mouth to protest, so Kakashi whirled around, fury blazing in his one uncovered eye, causing it to shut with an audible click.

“ _What was the first lesson I ever taught you?_ ” His voice was reduced to a hiss as he stared the two boys down, fingers crackling with energy, the storm brewing inside his mind. Naruto and Sasuke shared a single look before the latter spoke up.

“Those who break the rules are trash but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash,” he recited with resignation in his voice. Naruto's head hung low as he stared at the ground and some of Kakashi's wrath abated.

“Exactly,” he ground out before turning around once more, hands in his pockets, fingers clenching dark navy cloth. Kakashi allowed himself a moment to wind down, let his chakra settle, gain his temper under control.

“It doesn't matter how long it has been since she left. It doesn't matter how long she was on this team. The _only_ thing that matters is that Haruno Sakura was once part of Team 7. As such, she is our responsibility,” he explained, slow and patient, speaking as much to the boys as to himself.

“You each trained under two of the sannin and were assigned to this cell with me as leader for the sole purpose of retrieving her. And just like Jiraiya-sama and Orochimaru-sama never gave up on trying to track Tsunade, we will never give up on trying to track Sakura.” Because he had failed this girl once and Kakashi would be damned if he did so again. And it wasn't just him.

“We failed her. I did, Naruto did, Sasuke did. Deserting was her decision but part of the fault lies with us. And because of that, we have to atone for it by hunting, tracking, looking for as long as it takes until we find her.” The rain pattered on their clothes and the ground and yet it seemed like the world around them had fallen silent.

“And then what?” Naruto's voice was barely audible, a faint spark of irritation overpowered by the uncertainty of a child. Kakashi balled his hands into fists, eyes stuck on the grass, shoulders slumped.

“We bring her home.” He thought of a young girl with pink hair and green eyes that had always stood apart, never tried to be part of a whole, hungry for something Konoha couldn't, wouldn't, provide her with. A sharp spike stabbed at his heart as he was reminded of another girl that he too, had failed so many years ago and how, if he had tried just a little harder, he could have done right by Sakura who had always been meant to be like _her_.

“She _left_ , Kakashi. She never wanted to be here, with us, with the village! She's not going to come back! So what will you do when you find her and she says no? Because she has a number on her head. She's to be killed on sight, just like Tsuna-” Faster than anyone else could react, Kakashi had charged Sasuke, grabbed him around the throat and lifted him up into the air until his feet dangled above the ground.

“Kaka-sensei!” Naruto yelled but years of experience had taught him not to approach Kakashi when the lightning sparked in his eyes, ran down his arms and sizzled in his fingertips.

“ _She is not like Tsunade!_ ” He blinked, closed his eyes and reopened them in rapid succession as he tried to fight the way his fingers clenched around the Uchiha's neck, to squeeze tighter and tighter until there would be nothing left to grasp-

“Tsunade is a _monster_! Sakura is just a-” All air left his lungs. Without warning, his fingers relaxed and he dropped Sasuke who only narrowly avoided landing on his backside. Within a flash, Naruto was beside him, inspecting the dark blue marks around his neck as he coughed violently.

“Sakura is just a child,” Kakashi murmured hollowly as he remembered racing through a thick forest, panic clouding his mind, a never-ending chorus of _notagainnotagainnotagain_ \- Only to see the girl place her hand onto the disgraced sannin's moment before all three of them burst into a shower of moths, never to be seen again.

“All of you are just children.” He began walking before he even noticed it. The same oppressing shower of grey that had accompanied for most of his life covered his thoughts and senses like a suffocating blanket. His fingers twitched so he shoved them into his pockets once more as he walked, never looking back, dimly aware of the two chakra signatures trailing after him.

It wasn't their fault, Kakashi knew this. His inability to deal with the long string of failures that marked his life like a piece of red string could not be blamed on anyone else. Least of all the kids he was responsible for. And yet... and yet...

The rest of the journey passed in silence. Eventually, the rain faded but by the time they had reached the gates of the village they were still drenched, cold and miserable. Kakashi didn't mind the sullen atmosphere. The boys would bounce back. They always did. Much better than he ever had. He didn't acknowledge the guards as they waved them through, paused only when one of them directly addressed him.

“Hatake. The Hokage wants to see you,” Izumo said and Kakashi did his best to convey that he needed a bath and food, _sleep_ , to no avail.

“It's urgent.” Kakashi let his head fall backwards with a weary sigh. No dinner. No bed. No shower. Well. At least a distraction would keep the misery away, if only momentarily. Waving his hand in goodbye he took to the roofs, accompanied by Naruto and Sasuke. These days, wherever he went, they followed. If the Sandaime wanted to see Kakashi he wanted to see the boys as well.

It took no time at all for them to silently enter the tower and, moments later, the office. Warmth greeted Kakashi that briefly turned his breath to dust as he was assaulted by the sudden change in temperature. He moved his hand to rub his hand as he usually did when he noticed the presence of not only the Sandaime, but his students as well. They flanked both sides of his desk in front of which sat an old man in civilian garb. His skin was pale and oddly grey. His fingers were shaking.

“Cell 7. Mission status?” Kakashi bit the inside of his cheek before shrugging once and averting his eyes. A tell. An obvious one too, but not one he had ever learned to suppress.

“Failure.” Failure, failure, failure. The word echoed in his mind, bounced back and forth, mocking him in an endless chorus of blame and self-loathing. He needed it to shut up. Grounding himself by pressing his nails into his palms until they drew blood, Kakashi promised himself enough sake to pass out if she made it through this without revealing the wide-open cracks in his facade.

“Unfortunate,” the snake sannin replied with the same tone he always employed whenever Cell 7 returned home without their errant former comrade. Kakashi had come to hate the sound.

“There is no time to rest. You will leave within the hour. This time, we have a lead.” All dread and misery upon hearing the words 'there is no time to rest' instantly made way for the sheer hunger that sat in Kakashi's very bones. A lead. The Sandaime wouldn't use that term lightly. Everything up until now had been hearsay, rumours, vague directions with chances so thin he could almost see through them. They had never had an actual lead before. Behind him, outside of his vision, Naruto and Sasuke both straightened their backs.

“Tell them what you have told me,” the Hokage spoke kindly to the man sitting in front of him. This time, when Kakashi inspected him closer, he spotted patches of silver all over his bare skin. Remnants of healing chakra. Scar tissue that suggested... boils?

“A t- terrible sickness has claimed our t- town. It... came so suddenly... there was no time...” Horror and fear dripped from the man's lips as he struggled to speak, his voice hoarse and scratchy in a way that made Kakashi wonder whether his vocal cords had sustained permanent damage.

“Everyone's gone. My... my wife. And children... I'm the only survivor.” The man paused, wringing his skeletal hands before reaching up to scratch his throat. The touch left behind bright red trails that smelled of iron and copper. Blood. What kind of sickness could cause such damage that the med-nin weren't able to properly mend it?

“What else?” Orochimaru demanded, causing the man to flinch.

“The... the day before it... happened. A traveler arrived in our town.” Something growled in the pit of Kakashi's stomach, a combination of dread and foreboding that made him want to run for the hills.

“S- she wore a mask... claimed she was sick. She was kind. She... she asked people questions. A- about their health. She said she was a doctor.” Kakashi clenched his jaw so hard the bones creaked. Please no. Anything but-

“S... she hummed. All the time. I... I still dream of it.” Kakashi swallowed audibly, tasting copper on his tongue.

“What did she look like?” the Sandaime asked and Kakashi didn't want to hear the answer.

“I... I can't remember. She... she wore a cloak. A- and a hood...” It could be anyone. This was not their lead, this was not about-

“Did she look like this?” Orochimaru handed the man a picture, one Kakashi had studied countless times before, a graduation photo and heavens, please, no-

“O... oh. Yes. T- That's the girl. She... she's so young...” Kakashi's mouth turned into a dry desert as he stared at the picture, eyes stuck on pink hair and green eyes as the rush in his ears increased in volume, drowning out the noise around him, threatening to make his eardrums burst-

“I know you still think of her as your student. But this is evidence. Haruno was responsible for the demise of an entire town. A hundred and forty-three lives. She's no longer the sullen girl you remember her to be.” The words cut through the silence, hit Kakashi right in the chest. A hundred and forty-three. Sakura. A hundred and forty-three livesSakurawhathaveyoudone-

“She is no longer any different from Tsunade. And she is to be handled the same way.” Tsunade, Sakura, a hundred and forty-three, _Sakura_ -

“The town is close to our borders. The incident happened two days ago. Find a trail, run her down, and fulfill your orders.” Kakashi couldn't speak, couldn't think, and when he was quiet for a second too long, Sasuke spoke up for him:

“Which are?” A pause. Then:

“Execution.” Failure. Failure, failure, failure, a hundred and forty-three, Sakura, Tsunade, **F A I L U R E**.

“Yes, Hokage.” It wasn't his voice that uttered those words. It weren't his feet that carried him out of the office, into the night. It wasn't his heart he left behind, already broken beyond repair yet somehow capable of shattering all the same.

He only hoped that when the time to fulfill his orders came, it wouldn't be his hands that did the killing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll stop trying to make predictions about what chapter I write next. I end up doing something else anyway.


End file.
